


Winning the Omega, The Heat and What Happened Afterwards

by jarethsdragon



Category: Street Fighter
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, Happy, Happy Ending, Kidnapping, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pregnancy, Ryu finally gets laid, a/b/o dynamics, read the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 13:14:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 35
Words: 116,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16347398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarethsdragon/pseuds/jarethsdragon
Summary: Even the legendary Ryu has needs—needs only a pretty omega can fill.  And now, he finally has an omega of his own and pups on the way.  Uncertain about what to do, he travels to see Master Gouken for counsel and safety for his new mate.  But when Akuma arrives, killing Master Gouken and taking the pups, what is he to do next?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Good Omega](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13549329) by [delicaterosebud](https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicaterosebud/pseuds/delicaterosebud). 



> This was actually inspired a great deal by A Good Omega.

15 years ago....

Master Gouken knelt and bowed his head towards his two young students. Ken was on the right in his red ghi with his long, blond hair in a ponytail over his shoulder. Ryu was on the left in his battered white ghi, his short dark hair cropped short. They bowed respectfully in return.

“My students,” he started, “we have trained well and it is time for us to talk and then to rest.”

Ken’s face brightened and he settled more, his muscles relaxing. Gouken smirked at that—Ken was a young man who liked his play and relaxation as a young man should. He glanced over at his other student. Ryu was solemn, on the border of almost scowling as he knelt with his stare focused on his teacher. Ryu was an almost ideal student with his drive and discipline, but he rarely seemed to be the young man he was. Instead, he seemed to be an old man already—well settled in a path of isolation and study. It was not a bad thing, only surprising in a man so young.

“Ken, Ryu. You are both good students who I believe will grow into good men. You both are studious and disciplined and well-versed in the way of the warrior. This way will serve you well until you truly are old men. But there is a time and place for you to be young men as well.

“You are both alphas. It is the power of yang—the strong, the bold, the forward. It makes you both stronger, braver, more determined.” Ken and Ryu looked at him with a bit of a surprise. Not surprisingly, Ken’s face flamed and he fidgeted restlessly, but Ryu seemed to be merely taking in the information. “This is not a bad thing. It is not shameful to be who you are. What you are. The way of the warrior will be a steadfast guide for you to be able to control the urges of an alpha.

“But the power of yin—the left, the modest, the retiring—is something to consider. You are both young men. Your alpha natures make you strong. You are both singularly equipped with the strength, the stamina, the drive to do your duty to satisfy an omega’s needs. Neither of you will be ashamed if you choose to join with an omega.”

Ken groaned a bit in embarrassment, but Ryu simply asked, “Master—isn’t it wrong?”

The old master’s eyes twinkled. “And how do you think you got here if not for an omega and an alpha?”

Ryu bowed, bending over his knees and dropping his gaze to the floor. “Yes, master.”

Gouken sighed in his head. Ryu always was the first to question and this was undoubtedly the most embarrassing of lessons. His young student was most comfortable with studying the martial arts, practicing the physical aspects. Unlike Ken, he was not prone to wandering down the mountain to go looking for excitement in the nearby village. He seemed reluctant to even discuss having company—especially feminine company. Unfortunately, he seemed to have settled his sights on simply taking Gouken’s place as a reclusive sensei in this old school or wandering the world looking for enlightenment or tournaments.

“Ryu, it is not wrong to choose to be a warrior and to seek the high, lonely places to focus on your chosen studies of martial arts. It is also not wrong to seek an omega, to settle with a mate and to continue your family line. It is how we have new generations to carry on our arts.”

“Yes, master,” Ryu muttered sourly. “I apologize.”

“No, young man,” Gouken said with a patient smirk. “This is a most complex thing. It is the sacred mystery of yin and yang, the way the universe continues from year to year. We would quickly become extinct without alphas and omegas joining.

“If you choose to remain alone, there is no shame to it. Your ki would be devoted to the martial arts. You would be able to study and then to teach others.” Ryu straightened up and looked at him. “But there is no shame to claiming a mate either and allowing your ki to join with the omega’s and for a new generation to be born.”

Ken was grinning wildly at his friend’s embarrassed face. Gouken smirked at his other student. “And, you, Ken, should not consider this as an invitation to join with every omega who crosses your path. Omegas will naturally be drawn to you as a strong alpha with your open and confident personality. Do not abandon your training and remember that you should be strong, faithful, disciplined and respectful. These are the traits that will make you a man of honor and an alpha who can inspire respect and fidelity in your omega.

“And you abandon this path at your own peril. The omega’s purpose and duty is to care for their alpha’s children and family. They must fulfill this duty or the next generation is lost, without discipline or guidance. The omega must choose an alpha who is strong and disciplined. Without that, they are confused and abandoned and must seek what they need, which can put themselves and the pups in danger.”

Ken crossed his arms with a soft scowl. “They should be staying home.”

“Indeed, Ken. They should stay home, attend to their pups and take care of their alpha's family. If they do not have what they need, though—they can hardly be blamed for seeking it out, can they? And then what of the pups? Do they take their pups with them and hope that the next alpha will take them in? Or do they leave them with an ineffective or undisciplined alpha?”

Ken rolled his eyes a bit. “Just stay home, then.”

Gouken smiled. “You, Ken, are in danger of forgetting how very much you are blessed. You are an alpha, have a good family and a good life. These are not shameful things, but do not allow yourself to forget that there are others who are not so blessed. There are others that have no discipline, no steadfast ways or guidance. Do you blame the omegas unfortunate enough to be caught in their wake for trying to improve their lot?” Ken blushed and bowed low. “Do not worry, my students. Stay on your path. Be disciplined and respectful of yourself and others and the omega you choose. Give them your respect, your discipline, your steadfast loyalty and they will return those same to you.

“You both are young men, with young men’s drives. Do not be afraid to express these drives, but do so in ways that are safe and respectful and disciplined. Treat others—especially omegas who depend on the honor of alphas—with complete respect, honor, discipline. Even if they are undisciplined or dishonorable themselves, be the example they can look up to and depend on so that you can give them the start that they deserve. Discipline. Honor. Respect. Faithfulness. Strength. These are the cornerstones of the arts that I teach you.”

That night, as Ken washed the dishes from their simple meal, Gouken took Ryu outside. “Ryu...you seem troubled.” He glanced at the young man beside him as he frowned in the gathering darkness. “What we talked about—it is troubling you?”

“Master—I am confused.”

“And what is so confusing?”

“Why would someone have an omega if they couldn’t care for it...uhhh...her?”

Gouken nodded and pointed down the path that led to the vegetable gardens that provided most of the food that the three of them ate. Ryu followed gamely along, his question in the air. “It is very difficult to answer your question simply. Sometimes one happens to cross paths with one. Other times, one searches for months to find one. Yes, it would be better to wait until their future is guaranteed, but life does not always go in smooth and honorable and logical ways. And if you wait to find a perfect moment to care for an omega, then you might never have one at all.”

“Master...will I have an omega?”

“Are you interested in claiming one for yourself?” He raised a bushy eyebrow. “Is that what you want in your future?”

"No. Maybe." Ryu sighed. “Ken said that it is a good thing to have an omega, but I...I guess I don’t know, Master.”

“I do not doubt that if you want an omega, you will find one that pleases you.” He listened at the slight stumble of his student’s steps. “If you want one, then there is no shame in claiming one—as long as you do it honorably.”

“Honorably?”

Gouken smirked at the slight note of injured pride in his student’s voice. “You need to be sure that you are able to care for your omega, but also that you treat her honorably. Treat them gently—even those who do not belong to you—because omegas are not so heavily muscled and cannot take as much as an alpha. Offer your fidelity—your faithfulness. Use your gifts of discipline and strength and you will find that the omega will return the same to you and use every gift she has for you. Ensure that the omega has what she needs to take care of herself and her pups. When you claim, ensure that she knows you will provide for the family.”

“But...Ken says that omegas don’t do much.”

Gouken laughed softly. “Oh I think that you’ll find that omegas do plenty, Ryu. Generally, they take care of all of the pups and family, take care of any property and buildings. Most of the time, they cook and clean. Some few are also in charge of small bookkeeping. And we do not forget that they are responsible for carrying and birthing pups. Some don’t, but it is not fair to say that they do nothing.”

“I don’t want one, Master.”

Gouken laughed again. “I think that perhaps you might change your mind at some point—especially during your ruts.”

“I still don’t want one—they sound...messy and undisciplined.” Ryu snorted. “I can’t focus on a fight if I’m concentrating on someone else.” He paused. “Can I just avoid them?”

“Well, there will not be many at tournaments and street fights, Ryu.”

“Then I’ll just do that.”

Gouken nodded. “That is a choice that you can make day to day, moment to moment. You do not need to decide right this minute.” He waited for a few steps. “But keep in mind that you may simply find one. Life does not run smoothly according to our plans.”

Ryu seemed to think about it for a moment. “So even then I could be stuck with one?”

Gouken did let out a belly laugh at his student’s repulsed tone. “You will understand more as you get older, but for now, simply realize that things may change. If you do get an omega, then you need to behave honorably towards them.”

“Can I give her to you?”

The old master gasped for a moment, then laughed. “Give her to me?”

“Yes...can I? I mean, you’re able to understand and care for her. Then, she’s taken care of and I can keep fighting and studying.”

Gouken chortled. “Oh, Ryu—you will understand more when you are older. And while it is...thoughtful of you, I will be far too old to take care of a pretty young omega.”

“You’re not too old, Master.”

“Thank you, Ryu, but no one can be young forever.” He smirked. “By the way, what about what she wants?”

“Huh?”

“What if she wants to be your omega instead of mine? What if she decides that you are the alpha she wants to bond with?”

Ryu shook his head, his cheeks flaming even in the dark of the evening. “Why would she want me? I’m not going to be anyone or anything. I just want to go study Shotokan.”

“We will see, Ryu.” Gouken laughed again. “We will see what happens.”


	2. Chapter 2

Now....

Ken smirked at the ring. He had a black eye and felt scraped from head to foot. At least he hadn’t broken any bones and was still in the final bracket. He flicked his long golden hair over his shoulder as he watched Ryu attack the other fighter in the sandy pit below the audience.

This fight attracted a larger crowd than most street fights—mainly because of the prizes. Usually, a fighter was lucky to get a small amount of money from the illegal bets. A few of them teamed up—either with a plainly dressed bystander or sometimes with another fighter—to make bets and try to increase their share of the take. Dhalsim and Blanka were known to work together when they were in the same fight—one would be sure to get the payouts of the bets and any prize money that the other might win. Most street fights were in back alleys or crossroads or abandoned lots, with one or two brave fools trying to keep track of bets and payouts.

This was an invitation only event, run by someone with connections really high up. High connections that allowed them to brazenly rent an arena with seats and a bar. Ken had seen Zangeif and Sagat in one of the back hallways. Thankfully, Ryu had taken out Sagat earlier, but Zangeif was still in the mix somewhere. The announcer had a wireless microphone and kept shouting excitedly about the match as spectators cheered drunkenly.

Ken sighed, watching the match and ignoring the shouting of the announcer who did not know a straight punch from a jab or a snap kick from an axe kick. Yes, the prizes were bringing in everyone who was anyone, even if the semi-glamorous stage was not enough. Supposedly, there was a five digit pot for the prize, which didn’t matter to him exactly, but was a lot of money for some of these fighters.

But the biggest prize was over the arena. There was a steel cage hanging over the sand filled pit from four thick cables. As the fighters pummeled each other from side to side underneath the cage, it shivered and swung lightly. If you were in the stands watching it with the bet girls and the bar girls walking around you, you could see the auburn haired girl with the anxious green eyes in it.

Supposedly she was an omega. Not only that, but a “trained” omega—whatever that meant. Omegas were impossible to find for most of the street fighters who mainly traveled from place to place, looking for the next fight. The omegas he had ever seen—aside from his Eliza—were attached to promoters or fighters who had settled in a given place. Occasionally, one was pressed forward to the front of the ring to get her pushed into a heat or to excite the street fighters, but they were always hustled away before the end of the fight.

His family had already paid the immense finder’s fees to get him his own omega—Eliza. She was a sweet, Southern belle of an omega who made lovely pancakes and the best fried chicken. Eliza was regular as a clock, too—her heats were every 27 days and lasted a whole week. He was able to schedule his fights and appearances with complete confidence that she was ready when he returned.

No...it was not the omega, nor the prize money, that brought him here. Ken was here to catch up with Ryu. Ryu was amazingly hard to find as he wandered the globe, going towards any and every fight he could find. Ken was here to find Ryu and catch up on old times. Maybe even get a real match or two in before Eliza hit her heat.

He looked up at the omega as she stared down at the ring. Every so often a laser or spotlight would flash across the arena and the announcer would make some vulgar comment. She went from corner to corner, wall to wall, staring down at the crowd. Ken looked at her shocked face—she was riveted to the fight. That was to be expected, though—since she was promised to the winner of the fight.

The blond man stared at the fighters pummeling each other. Ryu came out next against Zangeif. The huge Russian must have been almost twice as tall as the Japanese fighter, with a booming laugh that went over even the loudspeakers and their over-synthesized music. Ken smirked as the wrestler danced closer, slinging a powerful punch down. Ryu leapt back, the sand in a plume at his feet, his hands curled together at his waist.

Ken’s hair waved and he felt the electricity crackle. The static flowed and sparks collected in the fighter’s palms. Ken grinned as the sparks collected into a ball of lightning. The muscular Japanese fighter shouted, “Hadouken!’

The ball of lightning flew across the arena, slamming into the Russian with brutal force. With another cry, another ball of lightning flew. The wrestler stumbled again, but rallied with his fists overhead. Ryu seemed about to be pummeled, but his fists kept glowing.

“Shoryuken!” Ryu bellowed. He leapt up, spinning in the air as the blue fire whirled around him. The entire arena lit up as he jumped, his face concentrating and placid as he delivered the punishing Dragon Punch right to the Russian’s chin.

The big man flew across the ring and slammed into the wall. The huge wall cracked slightly, a splatter of blood shooting out on the sand. Ryu landed lightly in front of of him, his stance light and almost bouncy. The Russian didn’t respond, could barely be seen to be breathing.

The announcer screamed wildly as six men began dragging Zangeif out of the ring. “What an unbelievable match. I’ve never seen anything like it!” The lights dimmed suddenly and all of the spotlights focused on the ring. “Now for the match of the year—our round champion against Ken Masters, the All American Martial Arts Tournament champion! I don’t need to tell you, folks, that this is going to be a fight to remember!”

Ken moved through the sidelines and stepped into the ring. Ryu looked at him with respect and stepped further into the ring. “Been a long time, Ryu.”

“I guess.” Ryu stepped forward and they touched fists. “But don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

“Oh, I think you’ll be surprised,” Ken chuckled, waving to the crowd.

“More big talk,” Ryu said solemnly with a betraying hint of a smile in his eyes. “Let’s fight.”

Contrary to speculation, they were fairly evenly matched. They started small—rapid kicks and punches that were narrowly missed. Ryu threw straight punches with lightning speed and accuracy. Ken grunted, blocking almost as quickly before sliding to one side and kicking as hard as he could.

Ryu grunted as the kick went to his ribs. “Getting slow, Ken?”

Ken danced backwards, sand spitting up around his feet. “Not a chance.” He hopped and changed sides, echoing Ryu’s move to get his sore side away from his opponent. “You might be, though.”

They traded kicks and punches, rolling away before leaping forward again. Ken scowled as a spotlight flashed in his face for a moment. Ryu leapt forward and slammed a kick forward. Ken felt tugged forward and the three kicks pummeled him.

“Tornado kick, huh?” he grinned. “Hadouken!”

The ball of energy shot forward and Ryu fell back. Ryu smirked weakly and stood up again as the crowd roared in approval. Both fighters put up their hands and sparks began gathering. At the same instant, the balls shot forward and the explosion rocked them both back on their heels.

“Giving up?” Ken called.

Ryu shook his head and leapt forward in attack. Ken blinked wildly again as the moving lights blinded him again and then flew back as Ryu’s fist hit his chin. He saw Ryu hold his hands up, and wobbled to get his own attack ready. The ball of energy slammed into his shoulder and his Hadouken shot wild and slammed into the bottom of the cage.

Ken saw the black dent in the bottom of the cage as it swung wildly. The lights automatically went to the cage in a blinding streak. Then another ball hit him and he saw lightning dance around all over him. His body collapsed and dropped to the sand.

His vision cleared and he saw Ryu over him, holding a hand out to him. “Hey, Ken, get up.”

Ken grabbed the vaguely fuzzy hand. His ears kept ringing with a fuzzy, staticky sound and he shook his head to clear it. “Hey, Ryu. Good fight....” He shook his head again. “If the lights—.”

Ryu offered a solemn smile. “Yeah...the lights.” He puffed an impatient breath. “Probably the guy in charge of lights had money on me instead of you.”

The announcer came dancing around, shouting into his microphone as the all but invisible crowd. “This is what martial arts is all about! The camaraderie of fellow warriors!” Ryu and Ken felt their hands held up as he cheered. “And let’s give a warm cheer for our champion, Ryu!”

The announcer kept pulling them in the wandering spotlight. Finally, they could see the various people in the audience as they drank and paid their bets. Ryu gave Ken a bitter look as the made up announcer kept cheering. Ken grinned, feeling the slight tremor as the cage set down behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryu growled softly, annoyed at the overdone delay. A barely clad female came by with an envelope from one side and another equally scantily clad female came from his other side with a long leash. The first vanished with a theatrical bow as he took the envelope, but the second kept pressing closer with the pink leather handle.

“I don’t think I’m interested,” he hissed to her.

“Oh, but she’s part of the prize,” the girl giggled, putting one hand on his sweaty chest and the other on his cheek. Flashbulbs went off in a dizzying arrow. “Or, I could take her place?”

Ryu scowled, glancing over at his friend. Ken was highly amused, backing out of the spotlight with an evil cackle and a sarcastic glint in his eyes. He fumbled and took the leash, pushing the other woman away.

Finally, Ken laughed. “Come on, Ryu. Let’s get out of here.”

Ryu followed him out, tugging irritably on the leash and relieved to hear footsteps dragging behind him. “Let’s go.”

“Through here.” Ken pulled everyone through the back hallways. They stopped in the back rooms they had been given and picked up their gear. Out through the kitchen, Ken managed to lead them through to the parking lot to his favorite red Porsche. “Everyone can load up in the car.”

Ryu scowled, looking behind him. There was the auburn haired girl, shivering behind him with her green eyes eyes wide and staring. She shifted restlessly from foot to foot, staring at the expensive car and then him. He tugged his canvas duffle bag higher on his shoulder, biting back his slight irritation.

Ken cackled and popped open the trunk. “Go on and drop your bag in the trunk. We’ll go to the place I rented and get her sorted out.” He pointed to the back seat. “You can put her in the back while we drive there.”

Ryu scowled and stared at her. She was sweating lightly, shifting more restlessly. Maybe it would be for the best to get to a hotel or somewhere safe. She was obviously not feeling well. Ken’s place was probably as good as any to get some food and to get things straightened out.

He tossed his worn duffle into the trunk and watched as Ken closed it. Without a sound, he opened the passenger side door and slid the seat up. Tugging the stupid leash, he growled at her. “Come on then, or get left behind.”

She nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on him in a fevered stare. With careful steps, she slipped past him and settled on the minuscule back seat. Ryu flushed as he realized she had only a scant slip looking thing over her in an almost indecent way. Growling again, he set the seat up and climbed in.

Ken was smirking at him as they pulled out of the parking lot. “You know...she’s got all the signs.”

Ryu rubbed his head. “What signs?”

Ken only shrugged with a wicked grin. “You’ll see. I’ll put you guys in the other suite—just remember to turn on the vents.”

They drove out of the city, down back alleys and along sleepy, quiet roads and out a badly maintained parkway to an elegant house in a gated community. Ken laughed and led them up the steps to the house. “It’s small—.”

“I thought you said ‘small’, Ken.” Ryu laughed. “How many bedrooms does this have, Ken? Ten? Twenty?”

Ken shrugged. “Don’t know. I needed a place and this was available.”

“You really are too much,” Ryu snickered, holding the duffle in one hand and the leash in the other. The girl followed him dizzily, silently, as he led her behind them. “I was expecting a mansion at least. How can you live in something so small?”

Ken laughed. “I know, right?”

They dropped their bags in the front hallway and made their way to the kitchen. Ken opened the fridge and pulled out two water bottles since his friend would not accept the cold Sapporo beers. He tossed one to Ryu. “I had the place stocked while we were out partying. Good thing, too, right?”

Ryu popped open the water and leaned against the spotless counter. The female crept in beside him, kneeling and huddling just behind him. He glanced down at her, saw her looking up at him with her green eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. She was a pretty enough girl—as girls went—but she was also seemed to be...sick.

“Look,” Ryu growled. “Let’s get her somewhere and we’ll talk.”

Ken shrugged, opening the door to the fridge and pulled out a foil wrapped box. “So I had the staff pack a dinner.” He offered his friend the package. “It’s not much, but it’s going to be filling.” He winked. “Selene packed it.”

“Who?”

Ken shrugged. “Selene. She’s one of my staff. She’s got a soft spot for me and thinks that I don’t eat enough.”

Ryu grunted, taking the box. “Let’s go put her to bed.”

“Uh-huh...to bed. Sure. Putting her to bed.” Ken grinned wickedly. “Whatever you say, Ryu.” He stood up and walked down the hall with Ryu and the girl in tow. “Here’s the other alpha suite.”

Ryu looked at the alpha suite. It was a nicer alpha suite—a sitting room, a large bedroom, a huge bathroom with a tub and a shower—with a huge fan in the hallway, leading to the central ventilation and air filtration system. There would be an omega cage somewhere in the suite, which would be used to keep an omega in the suite to ensure they would not wander if not attended and to prevent another alpha from trying to drag them off. He dropped his duffle on the sofa and put the wrapped box on a table. 

Ken turned on the filtration system and it hissed as it turned on. “So, we have a TV, a fridge with some snacks and drinks. Sheets are in the closet. Bedroom has spare blankets and a few extra pillows. You have my cell and can call *5 in the morning to get the staff.”

Ryu shook his sweaty head in amusement. He'd never get used to Ken's ways and casual attitude towards his own wealth. “What?”

“The staff are here from 7:30 to 6:45. No live-ins here.” He held open his hands. “You’re going to have to come to the big house to get that.”

“Oh,” Ryu grunted.

“Yeah...living the simple life here.” Ken glanced down. “You’re welcome to join me any time.” He smirked with a flush as the omega crept closer towards his friend and kneel behind him. “But you might want to take care of her first.”

Ryu looked down and saw her edging closer to him. She looked up bashfully, her cheeks stained and her hands buried between her legs. He stepped aside to watch her and she moaned. “I’m going to leave you alone and—.”

She grabbed his leg in a timid grip. It didn’t even register as a serious touch, her hands were so light. Ryu gasped in surprise, his mind only blearily registering as she scooted closer. Her legs slid along the thick carpet to straddle his foot. He couldn’t move—for a moment didn’t know how to move without hurting her—as she leaned closer. Her moist core was on the bridge of his rough foot and her hands stretched around his meaty calf. She leaned over and nuzzled the ragged and dirty pants.

Ken chuckled and held up his hands. “Looks like you have a live one, huh?”

Ryu flushed and pushed on her shoulders. “Go on.” She looked up at him with wounded eyes that barely seemed to understand. “Go...go to bed or...something.”

“She’s not going to listen, Ryu.” The American shook his head and chuckled knowingly. “She’s—.”

“A pain in the ass,” Ryu cursed. He pulled back, his ears flaming at her needy whine. She jerked nervously and backed up, crawling away and kneeling with her back to a wall. “Just go.”

Ken laughed again and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “You’ve been alone too long, my friend.” He looked again at the omega and then his alpha friend. “What do you do for your ruts?!”

Ryu walked gingerly around her, staring at her with a perplexed expression. She cringed, kneeling over her bent legs as he passed. He scowled again, yanking on Ken’s elbow and dragging him out of the suite. Slamming the door, he hissed, “What am I supposed to do now?!”

“Come on down to the kitchen. If you’re not in a rut, then you’ll be fine. Me? When I'm not going to be near Eliza, I go ahead and get a few suppressants for me.” Ken gestured down the hallway. “Get something to eat. A drink—.”

“Alcohol is—.”

“All right, all right. No alcohol. Just something to hydrate.” Ken leaned forward comically and sniffed. “Maybe a quick shower.”

Ryu finally laughed. “I suppose.”

They both laughed and went into the kitchen. Ken dug around and got a can of soup out while Ryu heated some water and fixed some tea. Dinner was quickly accomplished as they chatted over cups of tea and soup. They both cleaned up in a spare bathroom, changing into clean clothes before sitting down and talking some more.

It was a few hours later—after midnight—when Ryu headed back down the hallway. He did feel better with a hot meal and a shower. It was time for him to sleep. Master Gouken advised his students to eat simply, drink plenty of water and sleep well after a match. It was a simple formula that made students into masters and Ryu had no reason to doubt it.

He went to the door, smirking to hear the fan still running. Most alpha suites had a powerful central fan to make sure that the scents of ruts and the hoped for omega heats wouldn’t flood the house and push every able bodied adult into their cycle. If he was lucky, he’d be able to sneak past her and get some sleep. If she was in the bed, he’d take the couch in the sitting room. Or anywhere else as long as it wasn’t next to her. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that he had slept on the floor.

The front room was still lit up. Ryu looked around and didn’t see her. Maybe she was smart enough to have crept out of the suite and he could relax. He unfastened his belt and slid open the ghi top. He could get a real shower and spend some time meditating....

There was a soft rustling and Ryu spun around. She had peeled off that scandalous covering, unfastened the comical leash and collar and apparently had managed to....

Fill the entire apartment with that thick, sweet smell. 

Ryu felt his knees grow weak. She crawled forward slowly, her head bobbing loosely with her hair flowing in haphazard waves over her shoulders and arms. He stepped backwards slightly, his head swimming with the heat scent coming off of her. He had meditated, choosing isolation during his ruts, rather than finding some beta whore or something. Master Gouken’s teachings advocated discipline—not mindless fucking.

But everything in him was demanding that he grab her.

“Go to bed, girl,” he barked.

She flinched, crawling backwards a bit before looking up at him with tears in her eyes. Kneeling on her ankles, she sucked in a breath. “M-m-master?”

“Not hardly,” he snapped, far more angrily than he intended. The dizzying scent seemed to seep into his pores. “Just....”

She crawled forward and he stumbled backwards. He could see she was trembling and if he knew anything, he knew she was barely upright. His legs locked and his feet froze to the spot as she licked her lips timidly. She paused, looking up at him, her nose twitching as she took a hesitant sniff of the air. Her green eyes drifted up to look into his brown ones.

“Please...?”

He froze, his hands twitching as she approached. Slowly, she got to his feet again. Nuzzling his leg, her hips slowly rocked over his foot. Her finger slid gently to the heavy canvas pants and gripped a bit of them. Thick slick smeared over his bare foot.

Ryu was about to stuff her in the omega cage, but then her mouth opened and she lapped gently at his leg. Her thick heat scent rose up and filled his head. His fists clenched as her head moved so that she could begin mouthing his hardening cock through his debatably clean pants. His whole body burned as she began rubbing just a few inches up and down against him. His blood churned with lightning and his cock throbbed underneath her stroking fingers.

Instinctively, his body leaned into her caresses. He felt a clench in his belly, a tightening of his muscles that was completely unfamiliar. Slowly the clear and silent voice of Master Gouken in his mind faded and he felt his rutting instincts pushing to the fore. His eyes closed slightly, nervously, as he realized that his rut—a complete and animalistic rut—was rising to consume him like a demon.

His hands grabbed her shoulders. He meant to haul her—bodily—to the omega cage. He meant to lock her in. He meant to turn the central fan on high to completely vent the scent. He meant to walk out and go to the lawn of the house and get his mind cleared, his body under control. He meant to go borrow Ken’s car and get her suppressants.

Instead, he held her slight frame up—her toes barely touching the floor—and took in a deep breath of her heat scent off the soft, bare skin. It was strongest on her neck where her scent glans was and he nuzzled the patch before nipping the soft skin of her neck. She jerked in his huge hands for a moment, before her head tilted to the side and gave him unfettered access.

It was a sweet surrender, though. A surrender without fists or kicks or pain in the softest and most yielding and patient of ways. It was even sweeter when she whined, her hands coming up to brush his bare arms with a feather light touch. The heat underneath her skin bled into his palms and brushed his cheeks. She barely moved, her hands seeking touch as she hung in his hands.

Without thinking, he tossed her over his shoulder and went to the large bed in the bedroom. Alpha suites always had large beds—“alpha-sized” was measurable inches longer and wider than even a California king sized—and Ken favored lush bedding with plenty of pillows and blankets. He rolled his shoulder and dropped her on the bed.

It was shocking in its own new way to realize that he didn’t even try to make sure that she was on the bed right—her head on the pillows and underneath the covers. Instead, she was at a lopsided angle, her legs pulled off to one side at his hips. Shocking him further still was her complete and oblivious acceptance of it as she began stroking her own skin and pushing her fingers into her core.

He grabbed her hand and nipped at her fingers. The smears of sweet slick were all over her fingers and down her palms. She must have been masturbating frantically to get it all over her hands like this. He lapped at her skin again—softly and thoroughly to seek out all the the honeyed sweetness he could find. He could be harsh, brutal—but this was vastly different and the unfamiliarity was thrilling. This was the direct and total opposite of everything he had done—so far to the other extreme that it became a circle to come back to the beginning. Like an ink painting of a perfect circle moon, it was a feeling of completion to come back to the beginning and to feel the union of yin and yang.

Yin and yang.

Black and white.

Alpha and omega.

With a roar, he pushed her legs apart. There was no pretense of false modesty or coyness, only an eager sound as he stepped and slid between them. His thick finger pushed inside and it was covered in wet. Her impatient sound went into him, making his heart stop—then start up again in a rapid thunder that made his cock ache. He pushed further inside, up to his middle knuckle.

Her head rolled and then tilted to one side. “A-a-alpha...my alpha.”

Ryu felt sweat bead on his skin. He growled softly again to feel her start to move and writhe on his finger. Desire was not something that he had ever indulged in—but his rut beat against his skull. He pulled back his hand and cupped her breasts with his palms.

She was so tiny compared to him. He felt huge, oversized, compared to her delicate frame. He didn’t even know her name—only that she was a nameless omega. At least they—whoever it was who came up with this idea—knew she was an omega. That would have been horrific—to be promised an omega and get an overheated beta. But she was an omega—a true, hot blooded, beautiful omega in the most mind blowing heat.

Ryu stopped, staring down at her. She was an omega in heat. He was pushed into his rut—so deep that he groaned when he yanked at the ties to his pants. The light tugging drug the folds of the worn fabric across his skin and made it prickle in anticipation. He tugged at the ties again, finally snapping them impatiently.

“Alpha,” she whined as her fingers went back to her aching core. “Alpha. My alpha.”

He peeled off the white pants, stepping out of them without hesitation. Her eyes went wide as she looked him up and down. Her mouth dropped open and she finally flushed. “You are...so strong.” Her eyes became dewy and her scent had a soft tinge of fear. “So...very strong, my alpha.”

He took in a deep breath and it hissed through his teeth. “Obey me, omega.”

She nodded, her mouth open and her face flushed. Again she offered her neck, the traditional and timeless sign of surrender to an alpha, and Ryu felt a surge of possessive aggression blast through him. He felt the almost painful rush—yang demanding to be joined with yin.

He shoved her further on the mattress, crawling up just as fast. Her legs hugged him and he dropped his hands beside her shoulders. His cock rubbed her slit, painting her slick on her flesh. He moved, rolling his hips and smearing wet all over them both. She lightly stroked his shoulders, her fingers barely able to curl around the heavy muscles, and pulled herself up to run her tongue along his collarbone.

His head reared back, his eyes sparking and narrowing. She fell back on the bed, her legs splayed open in blatant invitation. The rut scent boiled and he thrust into her. She squealed, her hips rocking upward. Everything felt filthy with sweat and slick between them as he rocked back and forward.

“Alphaaaa,” she cried. His blood ran hot as she did that and the sound settled in his bones. “I...I...I....”

He put a thick hand around her neck, stopping every movement. “Discipline, omega.” Her eyes closed and she swallowed heavily against his fingers and a gush of slick seemed to spurt out of her. “Discipline. You must learn discipline.”

“Discipline,” she repeated softly, thrusting her hips up.

He dropped to grind against her, making her stop by sheer force of his weight. “Discipline. You must learn discipline.” She nodded and he grinned with wicked intent. She was somewhere between listening to him and simply parroting what he wanted her to say. “Still now.”

“C-c-can’t!”

“Still now.”

She finally did stop moving. He grinned and pulled back a little. “Discipline. Honor. Respect. Fidelity. Strength.” He rocked back and forth and slid inside her sopping core. “These are the cornerstones.”

She shuddered, gripping him again. “Yes.... Corner.”

He slid forward. “Discipline.” His thrusts were slow. “Discipline to guide yourself, respect yourself and to do the honorable thing.”

She moaned, arching up against him. Her alpha felt hot and strong and all the delicious things that alphas were supposed to be. He had a rut smell that sank into her pores and made her writhe. His cock was so thick and deep that he must be scraping her womb. He was not some wimpy milquetoast alpha who was an alpha by glandular bias alone. This was a victor, a strong and certain alpha who vibrated dominance. All these things were blending like an exotic elixir that made her sink into the heat helplessly.

He slid forward. Honor, discipline, respect, fidelity—all leading to strength. Strength for self. Strength for others. Making oneself better. Inspiring strength, honor and respect in others. His hips curled back, his cock throbbing at the entrance to her core. He shuddered as her body clamped down on him, her whine twisting out of her.

He was sliding forward, harder and faster. She accepted everything, returning it back to him in warmth and softness. The ink moon with the dark ink swirling around from point through a circle and back to the same point. Yang—masculine, strength, aggressive, forward—going in the circle to become yin—feminine, softness, passiveness, sliding back—and then forward again as yang. It was a spiral of energies becoming united to fuse into something new and unexpectedly joyful.

Faster and faster his body begged, and Ryu grabbed her hips. Even he knew it was a punishing force, his fingers bruising into her flesh, he had to keep a tight hold on her and keep her close. Unbelievably, her hips fought him and her hands clamped down on him, trying to force him to go faster still. Every muscle slid tighter and tighter, circling his cock to become the sudden center of his universe. “Discipline,” he whispered, thrilling to the sound of her whine as she helplessly writhed.

There was no discipline in him now and he knew on some hellish level that he gloried in her lusty response. Ryu slammed forward, stopping just short of pain. Her hands came up, grabbing his arms just at his elbows. She kept whining softly, begging softly and trying to twist up towards him. He tugged her around, jerking her limbs just to show he could. He grabbed her wrists and held them down and she whined and bucked. His greedy hands went to cup her breasts and squeeze her nipples and he felt her core flutter in some addictive way. He went to suckle on her scent glans, to turn it red and puffy with his rough adoration, and she begged for more until the pull of his lips yielded a teasing taste of her blood. Whatever he did, she accepted, yielding to his will completely.

The omega looked up at the gruff alpha, her heart pounding as his eyes slid almost closed. Her body was grateful for his, burning to be knotted. She had been somewhat fearful up in the cage, worried about which of the huge and muscled fighters was going to own her. The huge Russian fighter was a terrifying sight and she had been terrified that the bulge in his red outfit was real and would tear her apart. Instead, this alpha had won and taken her from that awful arena. His scent was clean—untainted by the smoke and dust and...blood of the fighting—and all the more wonderful for it. Her blood boiled as she managed to pull herself up to lick his skin.

He reacted as though she had burned him, and jerked back. His hands came up to surround her face and hold her still. “Discipline. Fidelity. Strength. Honor. Respect,” he whispered against her lips. Then he leaned over and kissed her unexpectedly gently. Her hands fell to push against the slick sheets. Her mouth opened and she tasted salt and a coppery tang on his tongue. “Give me...yours.”

“Yes, alpha,” she whispered as his mouth swallowed her words.

His lips brushed roughly against her cheek and then down her neck. His hips slowed as he twisted to cover her body with his. Ryu’s eyes glowed with pleasure as the tip of his tongue found the swollen lump of her scent glans. The skin was overheated and smooth over the hard bump—a sure sign that she was in heat.

He grinned, suckling her neck and nipping at the soft skin, feeling the pressure burning in him to cum, to claim, to breed her. Every time that he did lap that small patch, more scent coated his face and burned his nose as she writhed underneath him. With a sudden and pounding thrust, he bit down.

She screamed, her whole body arching and shoving with all of her lesser strength. He tasted a fresh infusion of coppery blood. Her core jerked and she came with another scream that rang musically in his body. His teeth tightened even more as she thrashed--except not to pull away but to push every part of her harder against him and impale herself on his cock. With a soft sob, she dropped to the bed, tears running down her cheeks.

He pulled back, licking the traces of blood off his lips. He stared at the brilliant purple-red spot on her neck that clearly showed where his teeth had been—his bond mark that would show that she was a claimed omega. Everyone would be able to see it and know she was his and that made him thrust harder. It made his blood boil as she touched it and whined with a lusty smile.

“Discipline,” he told her. She nodded, reaching up for him. He let her wrap her arms around his neck and cuddle against him.

“Discipline,” she repeated. Her legs pulled up to his waist and his knot swelled to feel her pepper his body with soft kisses. Her eyes crinkled in soft humor and she whispered against his heavily muscled chest, “Will you discipline me?”

He growled playfully and pulled back. She whined as his hard cock left her core. Flipping her to her stomach, he smacked her bottom and then curled her hips and pulled her back onto his cock. “I will discipline you, omega.”

He ground forward, his hips pushing forward in a punishing rhythm that kept building in his body. His rhythm made her sob and push back against him. His knot was full and ached to get into her. His cock and balls throbbed in tight desperation to fill her. He got the knot right against her.

“I.... Discipline. I will discipline you.” A thrust and his knot was right at the tight ring of her wet core. “I will honor you. I will respect you.” He shifted and began working his knot into her. “I will be faithful....” His knot slipped inside, locking her against him. She wailed and arched her back, shifting the internal grip to squeeze the head of his cock in throbbing heat. “I....”

“Yes,” she sobbed, tears falling from her cheeks. She scrabbled back and forth to try to find some way to move. He bit the smooth skin of her shoulder as her jerking pulled hard on his knot. She nodded and stilled, her hands balling into fists in the sheets. Suddenly, she jerked and his knot pulled briefly away. His teeth tightened on her shoulder, and she pushed backward again to collapse on the bed. He loosened his bite only to tighten again as her core throbbed and pulsed around him. “Alphaaa.... My alpha. Yes, alpha.”

It felt like the Hadoken, that sparking and buzzing under his skin. If he had an ounce of concentration to spare, he would have glanced at his painfully tight fists to see that his ki was gathering and sparking. But he just had nothing else except to taste that sweet copper taste again and to grind as hard as he could. She flexed again, her back arching even deeper and forcing her skin against his mouth, and he shouted as the climax ruptured and flooded her. Thick cum shot out that felt like it was emptying his soul. On and on and on until it felt like his cock was swimming.

With the last of his hard won strength and discipline, he pulled to one side before dropping like a stone onto the mattress. The omega was going nowhere—every breath she took was echoed in his cock as it remained locked inside her—and that pleased him on some deep and profound level that even Master Gouken had never reached.

She was asleep quickly, cuddled quietly close to him as his knot began to gently soften. Even when he pulled out, she remained there. He wearily looked at the brilliant red bite mark on her shoulder that glowed red with drops of blood. Vaguely his fighter's instincts triggered--blood meant injury, after all--Ryu’s eyes went down her body, looking at the many myriad bruises on her skin. Quietly horrified, he started to sit up.

His blood went cold as he assessed the damages. There was the bite on her shoulder that was a brilliant purple red with the almost perfect circle of his teeth in the middle. There were several sets of dark red bruises up and down her legs and arms—clear sets of five in each place. There were a few smaller marks—nips on her shoulders and neck—that would fade with time. She shifted, though, and he cringed to see the ripped skin over her glans as it dripped a thin line of blood down her skin.

Had he done that to her? He couldn’t believe he could ever be so violent to a helpless person, but he had. And every moment was burned into him on some kind of endless mental loop. What could he do to make it up to her?

He would never touch her again. He would...somehow, send her away to somewhere that she’d be safe. He would go back to wandering the mountaintops and wastelands and he would never again go near a fight where there was even a whiff of the scent of an omega. Above all, he would go now and find some way to repair the damage he had wrought on her body.

Alcohol or antiseptic cream. Cotton pads. Bandages. Pain relief.

He counted what he needed on his fingers. Ken probably had a whole kit somewhere that was better prepared than the small box he kept in his bag. He shifted again to climb off the bed and when he heard her whine. A chill went up his spine and he looked at her over his shoulder.

Sleepily, she rolled over to look at him. He stared at her eyes. Had they always been that shade of fresh bamboo? As soon as her shoulder hit the sheets, she flinched but didn’t seem upset at all. “Alpha...? Is something wrong?” She whimpered to try to push up to sit with him. “Is there...?”

Ryu rolled his eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down on the mattress. “You are a mess. Lay down while I find something to help.”

The girl brushed her auburn hair out of her face, staring blankly up at him. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” His fingers brushed the sharp bite over the scent glans. “You are hurt.”

She frowned at him in confusion. “I don’t feel anything.” Her fingers crept up and scraped the bite. Suddenly she smiled happily. “You...you marked me? Really?”

Ryu backpedaled. “What?!”

On shaking legs, she stood and went to the bathroom. “You did!” Her voice echoed strangely against the tile. “You...you claimed me.”

He stared as she came back in, smiling and crying at the same time. He would never touch her again—he promised himself that. But when she came to him, her legs knocking together, and knelt and kissed his dangling foot—then what?

“Th-th-thank you,” she whispered against his ankle. “Thank you.”

He pulled clumsily back. “You...you should rest.” He patted the bed. “You are not thinking clearly.” Immediately she obeyed him, climbing up beside him and leaning against him with a beautiful smile. “That should be bandaged.”

Suddenly her eyes went cloudy. “But...why?” Her fingers brushed it again. “If...if it is bandaged, it won’t scar right.”

He nodded, looking away. “Right. It won’t scar.” His hand skated along her skin. “I’ll make sure it won’t scar.”

She flinched at that. “But...but why did you mark me, then? If you didn’t want to claim...?” He stood up hurriedly, walked away from her. A sob caught in her throat. “I...I thought that—.” Finally she nodded. “Oh...so I’m not claimed.” Another nod. “It...was an accident.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “An accident. Look, I’m sorry. Let me get you something.”

Without waiting for a reply and with every shred of discipline he had left—which even he had to admit wasn’t much—he kept his gaze controlled to focus on getting on his pants and leaving the suite. He walked blindly until he found Ken was still in the kitchen, talking to his omega, Eliza, and making flirty noises at her.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” Ryu muttered.

Ken covered the mic on the small phone. “What? Oh...right. Kit. Under the sink.”

Ryu nodded and dug until he found the slick box that was stuffed with everything he might need for everyday emergencies such as...alien invasion or an army attacking. It had everything—even a few antihistamine injectors and a slick Mylar emergency blanket. He waved at his friend—ignoring the comical faces as Ken held his nose—and went back to the suite.

The scent was still thick in the air as he slunk through the suite. He would bandage her and she would be fine. He’d done this enough times that he’d be sure she wouldn’t be marked up at all and with some care, even her fine and soft skin would be unblemished. But, she wasn’t in the sitting area and he didn’t see her in the bedroom. Padding through to the bathroom, he was surprised that she wasn’t there either. Ken had the house alarmed, so she didn’t get out...which left...where?

He was about to go to the hallway again when he heard her soft sob. “Girl....” Hell, he hadn’t even gotten her name. “Omega? Where are you?” He heard her gasp, and then nothing. “Omega? Answer me.”

Her voice went so soft that he barely heard it over the central fan. “I’m here....”

“Keep talking.” He turned to track her sound. Gruffly, he ordered her. “Tell me where you are.” 

Another long silence, and then he heard her say, “In...in the omega cage.”

He had her general direction and opened what had appeared to be a closet to find the omega cage. It was deep—about four by four—and stood about five and a half feet high with a shelf above it holding another first aid kit and a box of granola bars. There was a pad about three inches thick along the bottom of the cage. She sat against the back bars with her knees up to her chest, looking up at him with tears running down her cheeks before looking away again.

“How do I get in this thing?” he muttered sourly. The bars didn’t move when he tugged them impatiently. “That needs a bandage.” She shrugged, looking down at her hands. “Come out now, omega!”

“I don’t have the key card.” She shrugged without looking up. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters. Come on out.” Ryu felt around on the shelf and found an anonymous white card with a chip and a magnetic strip. He slid it through the lock and heard the clunk of the lock opening. “Come out now.”

The girl stared up sullenly at him. Stuffing the kit under his arm he drug her to the bed. Pushing her into the mattress, he popped open the kit. She stared at the wall, sniffling into the sheets. He pulled out some ointment and a bandage, trying to ignore the soft crying.

“This will hurt a little,” Ryu muttered. “I’m sorry.”

She said nothing, only stared at the wall with her tiny fists balled up in the sheets. He opened the ointment and smeared some on her back. Spreading open one of the gauze pads, he taped it over the dark bite. “See? Nothing to it.” Still, she was silent. “Roll over and I’ll get the one at your neck.”

“Please, don’t.” Her voice was small and helpless and hopeless in a way that wrenched his heart. Her shaking hand went to cover the mark as she stared away from him. “If I have...pleased you in any way, please...no.” She didn't even look over her shoulder at him as her voice went softer. "Please. I'll do anything you want, but please claim me and keep me."

Ryu shook her gently. It was unnerving to have her so silent and still. Every other time he had touched her, she had obeyed—even obeyed eagerly. Now, she was tight and distant and cold. “Turn over, omega.” He cocked his head slightly, feeling energized in his annoyance. “Turn over.”

He shoved her to her side. It was too easy to use his strength against her, to roll her even against her will. She didn’t flinch or gasp when his large rough fingers touched that red spot. He felt his cheeks growing hot as he stared at the vicious bite mark. She was still—instinctively recognizing his strength and his alpha nature—right up until he picked up the tube of ointment. That drew a soft gasp and she wriggled, pushing her heels against the mattress and sliding away a few inches. He grabbed hold of her shoulder and immediately she stiffened.

“It’s a bad bite, but it won’t hurt for long,” he said softly. He turned the tube so that she could see the large, blue letters saying “Pain Relief Antibiotic Ointment”. Gripping her arm, he looked down at the bite again and then at her with a forced smile. She looked up at him again, tears swimming in her eyes. “What...? Why is this important to you?”

She did finally smile at him in a timid and thoughtful way as if she was only now understanding. “It is a bonding mark. If...if it scars clearly, then everyone will know that you claim me. Then no one can take me.” Her cheeks turned red. “It’s...the only one, I swear.”

“And being ‘claimed’ is important to you?”

She nodded, closing her eyes. “But...only if you mean it. If...if it’s an accident or you’re going to sell me off, then...I’m better off without the mark.” She shrugged slightly. “A lot of marks and people think you’re not worth the time and money.”

He sighed, studying the mark on her and the tube in his hand. “Look.... I don’t—didn’t mean—. Hell.”

She turned her head away and stared at some distant point on the wall. With a heavy sigh, she gave an answer that seemed too smooth. “I apologize, alpha.”

Then she went noodle limp in his grip. Even her hands went limp, rather than being tangled in the sheets. He stared at her for a moment before asking softly, “So, can I bandage it?” She said nothing, just closed her eyes and gave the shortest of nods. “Okay. It will hurt a little, but it will be better soon.”

She said nothing, did nothing, as he cleaned the wound and bandaged it. He felt better about it being bandaged, whether she did or not. Setting the box aside, he rolled her this way and that, examining her. She was showing some spectacular bruises and a few scrapes, but otherwise she was fine.

“You’ll be okay,” he said finally. Digging into the kit again, he found a small package of pills. “Take these and you’ll feel better.”

“Yes, alpha.”

She staggered up and went to the bathroom dutifully. The sink turned on and then off and she came back. Kneeling with surprising grace in front of him—an unnerving move—she showed him her open palms and then her mouth, before looking down in a gesture of meekness.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

She looked up at him for a split second then back down at the floor with a half shrug. "It is customary to show that the medicine has been taken." He nodded uncertainly. "I have obeyed your orders, alpha."

“Sleep,” he grunted.

“Yes, alpha.”

Surprisingly, she got up and walked back to the omega cage and curled up there. Ryu swallowed heavily, frozen to the bed, as he heard the heavy cage door clang shut. Then there was nothing. Annoyed and somehow a bit aroused—dammit again—he called out, “And don’t pick at the bandages. Do you hear me? Hands off!”

“Yes, alpha,” she called back.

Exhausted, he flopped on the comfortable bed and went almost immediately to sleep. His dreams had been dark lately—dark fields and violent fights—but tonight, there was a warmer tinge to them. Somewhere beyond all the shadowy opponents, there was a vague and pale shadow that seemed to beckon him. He followed it and was distantly surprised that the opponents melted away as he got closer to the indistinct feminine form.

The scent woke him up. He usually slept only a handful of hours, and he knew he was exhausted from the fight and from the...rutting. He had every intention of remaining asleep for a long time. Instead, the scent woke him up, dragging him from the comfortable bed to the omega cage.

She was there, sweating on the thick mat. Her fingers were buried between her legs, sliding slickly into her core with fast, hard jerks. She had bitten her lip, her whines almost silent as her hips rammed up and down. The only sounds were a soft, wet slopping and her panting breath.

Ryu realized he was hard. Even harder than before, now that he had clear memories of how sweet it was to grind into her. He fumbled with the keycard, sliding it through the lock and opening the omega cage.

“Bed,” he hissed at her, his tongue thick and dry in his mouth.

Thankfully, she rolled and crawled out clumsily. Not even that annoyingly cold and remote ‘yes, alpha’, just simple obedience. He found that he kind of liked that, but her clumsy crawl was too slow. Yanking her up off the floor, he carried her and plopped her on the side of the bed. To his surprise, she looked up at him and rolled to her stomach with her knees on the dipping side of the bed.

It was just the right height too, to let him slide into her with a burn of blood and lust. She clamped down on him immediately, everything inside her grabbing his cock. His pace was immediately fast and hard and made smoother by her acceptance and the thick slick that pooled inside her. She gave a soft cry and he paused long enough to look at her, to see the scrawl of ecstasy on her face despite the harsh bruises and bites, then his body demanded he keep going.

When he worked his knot in her again, she bit into the sheets and arched her back in what could only be an erotic welcome. He couldn’t resist such a sweet and receptive response and began grinding against her. She came with a gasp, her core milking him until his seed flooded her again.

He panted, sweaty and hot and realizing—belatedly—that he was knotted to her standing up. Gritting his teeth, he worked the painfully sensitive knot out and pushed her bottom. She crawled forward silently, collapsing with her head on one of the pillows.

“Stay,” he grunted, sliding in behind her before falling back asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

She did. In fact, she did most everything he said for the next four days. He had assumed that his ruts took that long because he was determined to meditate and...he had to candidly admit...suffer through them. Instead, he bemoaned that it was only four days of blistering heat and sensual desire. He stayed knotted in her as long as he could, marveling that it could feel so natural. And it was completely natural to be joined to her like this.

Ken was a true friend. The American made sure that he had trays of food and drink a minimum of three times a day. Oh, Ken knew exactly what was going on and apparently was absolutely fine with encouraging him. Ryu figured that he was in for a world of teasing and jokes when this was over, but then the woman would swish her hips or his cock would harden and immediately the blond man was forgotten.

At the end of the fourth day, she was exhausted as he was. She managed to get upright long enough to help him change the sheets. Neither of them mentioned the heavy stains of seed and slick. He brought her the tray that someone had left outside the door and settled her on the couch in the sitting area.

“Rest,” he gruffly muttered, setting the tray on the nearby coffee table.

“Where are you going?” she asked with a note of curiosity, then blushed and backed down as he frowned slightly. “Alpha?”

He smirked as she yawned. “I just want to get up and move around.” She yawned again, nuzzling his hand before settling on the couch. Slowly, he poked at the bandage, lifting the corner. “The bite is healing. We’ll be able to take the bandage off it tomorrow.”

She nodded again, her eyes suddenly growing cool before tugging a throw blanket over herself sleepily. “Yes, alpha.”

He let himself out of the suite and went down to the kitchen. Ken was there, munching an apple and staring at his phone idly. “Well, hello Ryu. Look who’s back among the living.” Ryu nodded sheepishly. “You look worse than usual.” He smirked as Ryu turned red and sat down, holding his head. “So since I haven’t seen you for a few days, I’ll assume that she cracked through your hard candy coating to get the soft nougat underneath?”

Ryu flushed and smirked, but his body was unusually drained. “I feel....”

“Yeah.” Ken leaned his chair back on two legs and opened the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. “I feel the same way after a rut with Eliza.” He leaned back on the table, sliding the bottle to his friend. “Get a little something to eat and drink and we’ll head to the back yard for a bit of sparring.” Ryu nodded, opening the bottle eagerly and chugging it. “Or you could back out. It would be a shame to get humiliated in a fight because of a rut.”

Ryu glanced up and saw the familiar gleam of challenge in his friend’s eyes. He guzzled the rest of the water and smiled back. Both of them grinned, and bolted out the door eagerly.

The house had an actual porch with a small stoop that went down to a grassy back yard. There was about two feet of rock path before it ended into soft and springy grass. It was well maintained, too—no rocks under their bare feet and only the slightest waving of the ground. Ken grinned smugly as Ryu looked carefully around at the small fence around the area. “You here to sightsee or to fight?”

Ryu grinned as they faced each other. With long-standing familiarity and eagerness, they bowed shortly. Rising, they dropped into their fighting stances with their knees bent and their arms up.

Explosively, they attacked, jabbing and kicking. Ken shot out a vicious side kick, only to have Ryu grab his foot and twist it. Spinning, he pushed the other fighter away. Ryu jumped, landing easily and ready to fight. Without the blinding spotlights to stop either of them, Ken and Ryu kept up their lightning fast attacks. Ken kept grinning, though—Ryu was drained from the rut—and kept up his punishing rhythm. His fist cracked against the Japanese man’s mouth and bloodying it, only to have a kick slam into his side. They had spectacular scrapes and were covered in grass stains as they fought. Ken kept grinning—Ryu had never fought after a well satisfied rut and might never see this attack coming. He dropped back a half step, his fists already starting to spark ominously—

—when a rock hit his cheek.

Blinking in surprise—what the fuck?!—he saw the little omega running up as fast as she could with another small rock in her hand. She skidded to a stop between them, raising her rock up in what he could only assume was her best attempt at being threatening rather than cute. She was cute anyway—someone her size in the scanty outfit she had from the fight, attempting to stand up to him with that tiny pebble in her hand. Touching his cheek, he chuckled to see his fingers come away with a thin drop of blood. “Well, now, Ryu. Hiding behind your omega now?”

Ryu panted, faintly concerned that he was winded and a bit weary by that small amount of sparring. The rut must have taken more out of him than he thought. He decided to take this as a timely reminder that he needed to train more, but more importantly he needed to get the omega in hand. Standing and staring down at the little one in front of him, he grunted, “Go back inside.”

“Huh?” she gasped, turning to look at him with a worried expression. She looked over at the American, biting her lip as she looked him up and down. “But he attacked you—!”

“Go inside. Now.” He snapped and pointed at the house. “You’ve attacked an alpha.” He ignored Ken’s cackling. Of course he was laughing—he was over three times her weight and twice her height and there was no way she was any meaningful threat to the American alpha even with her rock. “Go inside.” He saw her glance worriedly at the other man and then him again, her rock lowering as the wheels turned in her head. He saw the protest rise to her mouth and silenced her, hissing, “You have shamed me. He was not going to hurt me—.”

She dropped the rock at his feet and slunk back to the house. He growled, listening to her soft panting and almost silent sobs and strangely hearing them more than Ken’s hysterical laughter. Glowering at her one last time, he bowed solemnly. “I apologize. She—.”

Ken waved, wiping tears from his eyes and holding his side. “Nah. Don’t.” He laughed again. “Seeing that was totally worth it.”

Ryu scowled bitterly. “I did not intend—. She didn’t...understand.” Ken laughed again. “She really thought she was coming to my...defense. I guess.” Ryu scratched his head nervously. “It....”

“She’s a seriously fierce little omega,” Ken grinned. “Most of them wouldn’t think to attack an alpha, and to attack me? C'mon, Ryu—that’s like a bug trying to attack a bird.” He gave a comical face. “She must really dig you, man.”

“Are you done laughing at me?” Ryu snorted. It was all too true—she would have had no chance against the trained fighter. Anyone with eyes would have seen that she was hopelessly outmatched. “Ready to keep going?”

After they had succeeded in wearing themselves out—and tearing up the back yard—Ken asked, “So, what are you going to do with her? It’s not like she can trail after you with a baby on her hip.”

Ryu nodded again, grimacing around the swelling of his lip. “I was.... Well, I was thinking of the dojo in Japan.... I could...really use some of Master Gouken’s wisdom right now.”

Ken grinned, holding his side and laughing again. Rubbing his hands with glee, he crowed, “We’ll take the plane.”

“What? We?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t normally miss seeing Master Gouken for anything but then to see him lecture you about your duty to the omega? That’s going to be priceless.” He shrugged, grinning at his friend’s red face. “I could sell tickets for that.” He shrugged again. “And, hey, you never know. You might end up off the field of competition as you bounce babies on your knee.”

So, they all went to the plane the next day. Ryu was always slightly on edge to see the sheer power of the Masters family fortune. The omega was in awe of the plush carpeting and the huge recliners instead of the normal narrow seats, staring with her mouth slightly open as the staff got them seated and offered them snacks and drinks.

“Don’t get used to this,” he hissed in her ear. She let out a startled soft cry and nodded up at him timidly as her face grew pale. “Ken is doing this as a favor.”

"Yes, alpha." She looked away shyly and mumbled, "I'm sorry--for...the rock. I didn't... I'm sorry."

"Yeah--you should be." He scowled at her impatiently. “Not only could he have flattened you, but you shamed me by interfering. We are lucky it was just Ken and he decided to laugh it off.”

Her glance slid timidly from him to the blond American with the pink scratch on his cheek and then back nervously. Then she nodded slowly. She curled into a tight ball on the seat. Ryu nodded and settled into his meditations in the seat beside her. Ever since that little thing in the back yard, she’d been in a strange state. She jittered—moving in nervous little ways that reminded him of a dragonfly flitting around. As the plane began taxiing down the runway, her hand reached out only to draw back when he looked sharply at her. Finally, she curled away from him with an indecipherable expression. It promised to be a long day with her lurching back and forth anxiously, but he hoped she would settle once in the air. Nervous energy had limits, didn’t it?

Apparently, the answer was yes—it did, but only small ones as he found out over the next hour. She went back and forth between tiny catnaps and watching the nonsense anime that Ken had on the two big televisions at the front and back of the cabin. A terrible scene—a fierce battle or the bad guy killing someone in some graphically detailed cartoon way—and she gasp and do one of those half-reaches before glancing up at him and pulling away shyly. A brief cartoon kiss and she’d get a goofy expression only to look back and him and grow shy again.

Annoyed, he stood up and went to the posh bathroom. He felt almost like he was a bit in his rut still—over hot and vaguely nervous and a retreat seemed to be in order. She gasped again as he stalked off and curled into her tight ball on her seat with her knees to her chin. He spent some time in there—wiping his face and neck with one of the soft cloths and then running cold water over his wrists. He returned later to see her gently leaned over the arm of his seat, nuzzling the leather on the back. She gave a small, quiet smile and sighed in pleasure. Rubbing her cheek into the leather, she finally saw him. Her body stiffened, her face confused and upset as she pulled back into her tight little ball in her seat. Scowling, he took his seat.

“Something wrong?” he snapped quietly at her.

“I’m sorry, alpha,” she whispered for the fourth or fifth time since they had left the house. “I...didn’t know...he wasn’t—.”

“You should be.” He scowled. “Do not do it again. Any fight I am in—no matter what happens—you do nothing.”

She nodded thoughtfully. After a long moment, she asked so softly that he wasn’t sure he heard it. “Can I...cheer for you?”

“If I am fighting....” He thought for a second and realized that he had no idea what he wanted. It was like he was floating in midair helplessly. “You need to stay where I put you. Do not distract me.”

“Oh,” she nodded sadly.

At least her posture eased, but she slid into dejected silence instead. She turned away to stare out at the puffy clouds gliding past the window. He could only see a ghost of her eyes in her reflection. They were wide and sad as she kept silent. She was still for half an hour, not paying attention to the uniformed staff as they glided around with more drinks and snacks. She didn’t even move when one of them handed him a blanket with a politely curious, “Would your...ahh...companion need one, too?”

Ryu nodded, taking another fluffy golden blanket and then a pair of pillows. He handed one of each at her, relieved to hear her gasp. It twisted his heart a bit to see her so downhearted. “Take a nap.”

“Yes, alpha.”

It didn’t help to hear that. That was the majority of her conversation since that incident with Ken and it nettled him. She had been so lively, so engaging, and now was as quiet as a beaten dog. It was like she was suddenly behind a wall, up in a tower, where he couldn't reach the warmth she had lavished on him. “My name is Ryu.”

“Yes, alpha.” She wound the blanket over her snugly and cuddled into the pillow. As she twisted to get the pillow under her head, he caught a glance of a silver tear as it fell. Then it was gone and she dutifully—obediently—settled into a nap.

He leaned the seat back, morbidly glad to see her do the same after a moment. The flight was smooth enough that they both slept until the staff served them their dinners. As usual, Ken had made every consideration and had gotten them both vegetarian meals, knowing he preferred it. She ate quietly, only half watching the television now. He slipped over to talk to Ken as she finished and took a nap again.

“What’s eating her?” Ryu growled.

Ken looked up at him with a smug cat look. “What do you mean?” He shot her a look, relieved to see she was asleep. “I thought she was absolutely cowed and obedient.”

“Except when she throws rocks.”

“Hey, man—I told you, it’s no big deal.”

“It should never have happened.”

Ken shrugged. “Better me than someone else. Besides, you scolded her and she backed down. So what’s wrong?”

“It’s...the whole thing.” Ryu sighed, leaning back. “I thought this would be easy.”

“Really?” He looked at his friend curiously. “This is never easy. Sometimes I’m frustrated with Eliza. Like, sometimes it feels like she is just a drain on me. She loves shopping and all kinds of girly, frilly things. She doesn’t like martial arts at all and thinks it’s too violent. She likes all that grass and berries and twigs diet stuff and actually does drink the whole dark green wheat-grass smoothie stuff.

“But she’s also my number one cheerleader. No matter how late I come in, or what kind of shape I’m in, she’s there to cheer for me. Just her being there, depending on me, makes me better. She makes me stronger because I have to be there for her. I have to go into the Masters Inc. offices because she is relying on me to provide for her.”

Ryu puffed out a breath and looked up at the ceiling. “But...what am I going to do?”

Ken leaned back in his reclining seat. “Well...just between the two of us, she’s probably one of the good ones. It took a lot of guts to come out and, honestly, we weren’t giving her a lot of time to figure out what she should do.”

“That kind of thing will get her killed.”

“She’ll figure it out.” He looked sagely at his friend. “Believe me when I say you’re going to be happier with her than with one of the beaten down omegas. Those are truly terrifying creatures.”

Ryu cocked his head thoughtfully. “An omega?”

Ken shuddered, looking at his friend. “Yeah. My dad took me to see a few before I chose Eliza. A few of them were just...zombies. Omegas with no soul and no spirit are crazy. It was absolutely terrifying to even walk into the room with one of those because they were just cringing all the time. I sneezed and one of them actually wet herself because she was so scared. I would move my hand and they would flinch.

“Do you know that at least one of them was drugged? The manager drugged them so that they could be docile. One of them was so high she couldn’t even look up at me, couldn’t even answer me. Another of them was sick on the lawn after the interview. And even then, the manager was standing over them with a whip. Like, even when the omega can’t move because she’s so strung out and he was smacking her with a horsewhip.”

“Why were you dealing with such a...?”

“Such a lowlife?” Ken smirked. “Because even with all that, he was one of the better ones to deal with. Sometimes they just beat the hell out of them. A few are really sick and specialize in omegas that are helpless.”

“How helpless?”

“Like amputees. Or slicing tendons. Or both.” Ken chugged his drink bitterly. “Or maybe she can’t talk at all because her vocal cords have been removed. Or maybe she doesn’t have arms. They can claim it’s a public service to offer crippled ones. But a few of them have rumors that they alter the omegas themselves.”

“What?!”

“It’s a quick slice behind the knees and they can’t get away no matter what happens.”

Ryu felt his skin crawl. His omega could walk, could talk. How had he missed how lucky she was? How lucky he was? If the short time she had been cowed and silent had irritated him, then how much trouble would one be that couldn’t walk? Or what if she couldn’t...hell. He needed to get to Master Gouken as fast as he could....

As soon as they landed, Ken had a car waiting for them. The omega was still silently obedient as she crawled into the back seat, and Ryu was more than a little concerned at the small sticker in the trunk that said “Limit Two (2) Omegas” in the inside. Could two of her fit in there? He glanced at her as she huddled on the seat and rummaged in his bag to find an old t-shirt.

“She’s gonna be fine,” Ken laughed at him.

“She needs to be covered,” Ryu grunted. He flushed to realize that she was not embarrassed about being clothed. In fact, the only one embarrassed to have her body on display in that scanty dress, was him. “Not have.... She needs to be covered.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, or we’ll never get there.”

Ryu said nothing as he watched her slip it on over her scanty dress. She was at least a little more covered—a little more decent. Ken drove them through the busy part of town, turning down a back alley that bumped between some cheap flea market shops. He had the blond stop at an open booth that had wide tie-dyed scarves and loose skirts flowing in the evening breeze.

Ryu took out a few of his hard-won bills and slipped out of the car. The elderly shop keeper—a beta by the look of him—sold him a flowing scarf and a skirt in matching shades of green. Ryu thanked him quietly, picking up the folded items when the man saw her sitting in the back of the car. With a snaggletoothed grin that split his elderly face, he took down a loose dress and folded it.

“And this for the lovely lady,” he cackled.

Ryu shook his head. “I can’t—.”

“For the lovely lady,” he cackled again. “Is she yours?”

“I guess so.”

“Then you are blessed, son.” He folded the dress up and handed the three things to the fighter. “Go and be happy.”

“Thank you.” Ryu took the pile of fabric and went back to the car. “Let’s go, Ken.”

Ken laughed and they drove off. The town flashed by, becoming a suburb and then sprawling houses before even that vanished into darkness. The road became a gravel road, then a pot-hole ridden mess before they stopped at a remote ryokan. Ken pulled into a garage and paid for the space before opening the trunk.

“Come on, guys,” Ken smiled at both of them. He then addressed her directly. “We’re sleeping here tonight. I got two rooms.”

She said nothing, only looked up at Ryu. He nodded, shouldering his heavy bag. “Come on.”

“Yes, alpha.” She climbed out and stood next to him. Impatiently, he slid the loose skirt over her head to her waist. It billowed in a green circle around her legs before hanging down to her calves. “Thank you, alpha.”

He grimaced and pointed to the other man. “Follow him and we’ll rest for the night.”

“Yes, alpha.”

“We’ll hike up to the dojo tomorrow.”

“Yes, alpha.”

He sighed. “Look, snap out of it.” She looked startled as she fell into step just a hair behind him. “Just be polite.”

“Yes, alpha.”

“We’ll get you some shoes in the morning.”

“Yes, alpha. Thank you, alpha.”

She was the very model of a silent, meek woman as she walked behind him into the ryokan. Ken paid for the rooms and they slid into one of them. She pulled the sheets over the futon, arranged the pillows and waited for him to slide between the sheets. Then she climbed in next to him.

He smiled at her and peeked under the bandages. The one on her shoulder had scabbed over and was purple, but otherwise had healed well. The one over her glans was completely well—not even a bruise. He supposed that it was natural to heal fast where an alpha was most likely to bite.

“There—not even a scratch,” he smiled as he reached to toss the bandages away. “I told you that I’d get you healed up.”

Nervously, she reached and felt the skin. Her eyes went cool as she felt that the skin was smooth over the tiny bump. He frowned as she nodded to herself and looked at him with disappointment in her eyes. Still, she very politely responded, “Thank you, alpha.”

“Ryu—my name is Ryu.” He offered her what he hoped was a friendly and firm expression. “I want to hear you say it.”

“Thank you, Ryu.” She offered him a watery smile, like a child thanking a parent for foul tasting medicine. “Thank you for taking care of it.”

He smiled at her again and ruffled her hair before rolling over and laying on his side. He felt gratified to feel her snuggle against his wide back. She was warm and soft again, like she had been during the heat. It was a comfortable feeling to be next to her as she settled into sleep. As soon as she was in a deep sleep, he rolled slowly to face her and wrap his arms around her. She was a sweet armful, fragrant and quiet, and so terribly small compared to him.

How on earth had she managed to survive the rut? He knew his body and his strength. He could crush opponents. He could shatter wood, bend metal, break bricks and glass. He had broken the bones of street fighters who faced him. He trained daily to be continually stronger. He had spent his whole life trying to become stronger and faster and better than anyone else. And ruts made alphas more aggressive and more vicious. So how had this little armful managed to survive?

He pictured the inked moon—the circle going around to end up on itself. Opposites joining to form a whole. Yin and Yang. Positive and negative. Black and white.

His last thought before sleep was “alpha and omega”.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, they went to the dining area to eat the small breakfast provided by the ryokan. Ken and Ryu knelt at the small table. The omega appeared in the t-shirt and skirt, the scarf wrapped close around her neck and over her shoulders, kneeling slightly behind the Japanese man.

Ryu scowled and gestured angrily. “Come up to the table.”

Ken hooted, scooping up his cup of tea and smirking. “Man, you’ve been alone too long.” Ryu looked at him in confusion. “She really is a trained omega.”

“What?”

“So it is properly traditional—by which I mean ‘old-fashioned’—manners for her to be behind you and to accept whatever you give her.” Ryu rolled his eyes and groaned. “And here is breakfast.”

Ryu thanked the motherly lady who came by with small dishes of salmon, rice, vegetables that formed the traditional Japanese breakfast. She nodded and gave him an extra plate and set down an extra cup but said nothing to the omega. Ken chuckled dryly, watching his friend’s every jerking move.

Ryu poured tea in his cup and then in hers. He handed it back to her, nodding at her soft thanks. He turned to look at the dishes in irritation. The fish was in slender strips and he gave her two to his three and a small amount of everything else. She accepted the dish, eating quietly and quickly.

Ken chuckled again around a mouth of rice. “So, what’s her name?” Ryu groaned again, feeling his face heat up. He half turned to ask her, only to hear Ken snort again. “No sense asking her. She’ll only say ‘whatever you want’ or something like that.”

“So, I—?”

“Name her. Like a dog.” Ken gulped another swallow of rice. “She’s pretty like a blossom. Maybe ‘Saki’?”

Ryu grinned evilly. “Remind me to tell Eliza that you said that.” Ken shrugged innocently. “I suppose that...” He looked at her green eyes the color of bamboo, the color of new growth in the spring. “Take? Kaga?” She stared up at him curiously. “Hana. Her name is ‘Hana’.”

“Okay, ‘Hana’.” Ken nodded in approval. “That’s a good name for her.”

Ryu scowled, eating his breakfast quickly and quietly. Hana ate quietly behind him, ignored by the lady who owned the ryokan who offered them more rice and more tea. She was a calm woman, and her husband came by to welcome them to the area—but they totally ignored the omega as she ate her small portion. She wasn’t even offered a glass of water.

“So, ‘Hana’ needs some good shoes to make the hike,” Ken said calmly.

Ryu nodded absently as the husband came by to check on them again. The man’s eyes didn’t even flicker towards Hana, even though she was right there. “Why isn’t anyone talking to Hana?”

“Because she’s an omega,” Ken shrugged. “It drives Eliza crazy. She sometimes refuses to come to Japan because of all the stuff she is expected to do as an omega.”

Ryu ate the last of the rice and drank the tea. A glance over his shoulder and he saw that Hana was holding an empty cup and looking longingly at the pot on their table. Grabbing her cup, he filled Hana’s with tea and then his own. “Like what?”

“Well...she can’t own property. Can’t do any major purchases—nothing over a hundred dollars without your written permission. Nothing over a thousand without her alpha present. But that doesn’t matter because she can’t carry money anyway.”

“What...? Anything else?”

“She can’t get birth control without her claimed alpha present. No abortions without her alpha. She can go to a doctor if she is in active labor, but she needs your written permission or electronic approval for most other medical issues. She can’t go to school except online or correspondence courses now that she’s presented. No clubs will let her in. She will need to you with her to go to most events like concerts and sometimes those are even forbidden and she'll be locked off in some other area until you return to get her. Kind of like a checked coat.” Ken grinned as Ryu’s face got more red and his teeth gritted harder. “Like I said—it drives Eliza crazy. There’s a few places that omegas can’t even go shopping without their alpha except during the ‘omega hours’. At least in the U.S., she can get a job. In India and really traditional Chinese areas, omegas can only choose to be—get this—a teacher, a nurse, or a midwife. Only with their alpha’s permission and only until she has children. Then she has to stop—no questions--for a minimum of 20 years.”

“Oh, joy,” Ryu snorted.

Ken’s face grew serious. “Then there’s the omega exchanges.”

“Omega...exchanges?”

Ken nodded again, drinking another cup of tea. “It’s some dirty business. Someone--usually an alpha--picks up a lot of omegas and sets up a business renting them out so that they can have kids for whoever is willing to pay the price. If it’s a lone wolf alpha, then they get the omega until the kids are born. A beta pays extra to have the omega impregnated. Either way, they get to keep the kids and the omega goes on to the next customer.” He shrugged. “It’s a quick way to make some money—.”

Ryu snorted in disgust. “At the expense of a lot of omegas.”

“Yeah. A whole lot of omegas.” He looked down. “And any beta children usually get given to adoption houses so that betas can adopt them.” He sighed bitterly. “Eliza was really lucky because her father knew my family and made the arrangements once we got a chance to meet. She came to me with all her shots, registered with the U.S. Omega Registry, microchipped and with a full education courtesy of the University of Washington Omega Outreach Program.

“She’s in charge of my social media. Fightcast, Facebook, Sparkspace, Twitter—all the online pics, interviews, everything.” Ken grinned. “I have fans, a bunch of feeds and online videos. All of the Masters Gym online publicity. There’s even some talks about doing some instructional movies.” He shrugged lamely. “I owe my potential movie deal to her clever schemes.”

“A movie deal?” Ryu grinned. “That’s news.”

“I know—finally a real martial artist in the movies.” He took a sip of tea as the landlady came by with a fresh pot. “I’ll be doing my own fights and stunts. And I owe it all to Eliza.” He winked slyly. “Just don’t tell anyone—or else she is in trouble.”

“Why?”

“As my omega, I get all of her money. I’m responsible for her welfare and her well being—and how she presents herself, how she behaves, to the world. All of any salary she earns will go to my account, but if she misbehaves—does something like curse out someone over Twitter—then I get fined and she could be removed from my home because I’m not in taking charge of her properly. So we keep it quiet that the ‘techno-master@mastersinc.com’ is my omega.”

“Okay,” Ryu nodded. He looked over at Hana and refilled her cup again. She’d need to be hydrated for the climb. “Anything else? Other fun little facts?”

“Yeah,” Ken nodded. “I got up early and got you these.” He tossed a cheap, prepaid phone and a pair of what looked to be credit cards—one in white with green type and one green with white type. “The green card is for you and the white one is for her and it should be tied to this phone. Any time she tries to make a purchase, it will send a text to this phone and you have to approve it or it doesn’t go through. You use the green card to check the balance, make deposits and do regular bank stuff.”

“Hell,” Ryu muttered. “How do you do this?”

Ken pulled out his wallet and showed an identical green card. “Eliza has the white one.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped up the messages. “And you can see that she’s gone out with her girlfriends to get a caramel latte, she’s gotten the new blouse she wanted, and she wants to go to the movies tonight.” He clicked the screen, pushed a few things around to show the other alpha. “See? Now I’ve approved her to spend $75 tonight at the movies.”

Ryu nodded uncertainly. “So...?”

“So this is the world of an omega.” Ken put his wallet and phone away. “Literally, she can’t do much of anything without me knowing about it no matter where I am. If I don’t approve something, she’s stuck. If I hit the alarm on the app, then she’ll be taken by the cops and held until I get there—no matter how long it takes.”

Ryu scooped up the stuff uncertainly. “I suppose—if that’s the way things are.”

“Don’t I know it? It’s a pain, but it means that she can have a bit of a life when I’m not there,” Ken smirked. “So, let’s go and get Hana some shoes so that I can see you get chewed out by Master Gouken.”

Ryu took Hana’s dishes and put them on the table. Dumping the things Ken got him in his huge duffle bag, he gestured towards the door. She followed him like a kicked puppy, always a few steps behind him and so silently that a few times he wasn’t even sure she was still there. For a minute, he thought that he wanted to have a leash so that he was sure she was still there. They went to a rundown flea-market area where anyone with a blanket could set up a space to sell just about anything. A man with a pushcart sold phones and electric devices. A woman sold clothes and handbags under a tarp. A sweet looking girl sold lemonade and rice balls from a tin box with a patchwork of a roof.

Finally, Ryu and Ken found a small hut of an elderly man who sold used shoes. The wire stands beside the door held a motley assortment—two pairs of ballet shoes, a robin’s egg blue pair of saddle oxfords, a pair of cowboy boots and some pairs of geta shoes. Hana smiled to see a pair of tiny pink baby shoes. Her fingers brushed the dusty flower on the toes, but as soon as she realized that the man talking to the fighters was watching, she dropped her hand.

“Keep the omega outside,” he grunted to Ryu. “I can’t have a wild omega in here! I’ll lose my customers if she fills up my shop with heat scent.”

“But she’s just finished her heat,” Ryu said calmly. “She doesn’t—.”

“No! She stays out there.”

Ryu nodded with a bitter face and looked at Hana. “Sorry.” She nodded uncertainly. “Just...stay close.”

Hana smiled and murmured, “Okay. I’ll stay close.”

Ken smirked, already looking down the row of stalls and shops. “I’ll be out here. I’m going to get Eliza one of those kimonos I saw on the next row.”

“Okay,” the other alpha replied absently.

Ken waved again and left as Ryu took his time picking a pair of sturdy sneakers and a worn thin pair of house slippers. The man insisted on haggling with him. Pulling his bag off his shoulder, he untied the top and rummaged to find his worn wallet. Seeing her hovering just outside the door, Ryu decided she was obedient and wouldn’t wander far, leaving him free to concentrate on the man’s haggling.

Hana knew better than to wander around a strange place on her own. Life as an omega had taught her that much. So, she stayed close to the doorway, staring at the array of shoes in the racks. Ken had come out and smiled at her and then wandered to get something down the walkway, quickly disappearing. So, she was outside, listening to the shouts and noise of the crowds of people walking by and others hawking their wares from pushcarts. She could barely hear herself think in the noise. She was idly waiting and mentally designing shoes when she heard someone whistle.

Turning, she saw a group of young teenage boys—surely the oldest was not more than 14–watching her. They grinned at each other wickedly and one of them spoke to the tallest one, “Hey—you sure? You sure that’s an omega?”

The tallest one nodded with a huge grin. “Sure. My dad taught me enough to know an omega when I see one.”

Another one with a silver colored nose ring snorted bitterly, “You haven’t even presented yet and only omegas and alphas can tell. How would you know?”

Tallest smacked Nose-ring. “I can tell. She’s an omega.”

A gangly one with a purple streak in his hair piped up. “Hey, if we can get her, we can make some money!”

Tallest nodded. “That’s the idea, stupid. Maybe we can catch a few of her friends and set up an exchange like in the cities.”

Purple Hair dug in his pockets and pulled out a handful of something. He whistled again as if he were calling a puppy, holding out his hand. “Come here, pretty girl. Come on. Come to me.”

Nose-ring snorted, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Purple Hair took a step closer, waggling the things in his hand. “Don’t you know anything? Omegas have a sweet tooth.” He picked up one of the things and unwrapped it and tossed it in his mouth. “See, omega? Just some candy. Come on, baby.” He tossed a piece towards her. “Just take the candy like a good little bit—.” Tallest hissed. “Like a good little omega.”

Hana stared at Purple Hair in disbelief. Tallest gestured behind her and the boys surrounded her. Purple Hair grinned and shuffled forward unexpectedly. Hana backed up, holding her hands up. She felt a prickle over her neck and saw that Nose-ring was behind her. Ryu had been obvious about not claiming her and obliterating the bond mark, so was he planning on selling her or something when they got to where they were going? Was she going to be better off with the stern man who seemed to want little to do with her or with the teenagers? She couldn’t think for a moment as they pressed closer to her.

“Hey, there pretty,” he grinned. A finger went to his lips in a teasing way. “Good girl—just stay quiet. Come on over. Be a friendly omega. Good girl. Come on.”

"Ahh...no." She shook her head and took a step away. "I'm not supposed to--." Purple Hair took another step forward and she felt his hand swipe the air behind her. He missed and caught her scarf yanking on it before letting it go.

Tallest was right to her side. “Hey, pretty omega....” He smirked at his friends and waved at them. “Just a little closer, guys, and we’ll have her.”

They all stepped closer except for Purple Hair. Hana scooted away from their grabbing hands and felt a wall at her back. Tallest grinned and waved to all of them and they crowded around to drive her a few steps further down the street.

Purple Hair stuffed the candies back in his pocket. “What are you gonna do with your share?”

Nose-ring snorted. “Who cares? An omega exchange is money, money, money.”

“Just help me get her out of here,” Tallest grunted. 

"I do have an alpha," she whimpered. "He--he's right there."

The teens looked at her and then suddenly burst out laughing. Tallest smirked. "Sure he is omega. And I suppose he forgot you? Left you behind?"

Purple Hair nodded with a terrifying chuckle. "Yeah, omega. You sure got a claim now." He made a clucking sound. "But we found you. We ain't leaving without you."

Nose-ring looked around. "What if she's right? What if there is an alpha?"

"No alpha is coming," Tallest reasoned. 

Nose-ring shook his head. “We don’t want trouble.”

Purple Hair looked over his shoulder with an anxious scowl. “Yeah...let’s steer clear of her alpha.”

Tallest chuckled and yanked the scarf with one finger. “Look at her neck—she’s unclaimed. So there’s no alpha to worry about as long as we can get her away.” He paused. “We’ll put her in my dad’s shed until we get set up.”

Purple Hair nodded with a wicked smile. He pulled out a switchblade and flicked it. “Besides, we’re working together. Us against one alpha? How bad could it be?”

Nose-ring nodded, laughing and clawing through the air to grab her scarf. Hana growled and pulled on the other end. The boys laughed, crowding closer around her and yanking until they pulled the scarf off her. Purple hair tossed aside with a laugh. Hana swallowed her tears and grabbed for it futilely as it fluttered away in the breeze.

Tallest snatched it up just before she got it. “Don’t drop that, doofus! You gotta keep omegas calm for them to breed. Besides, we can use that to collar her.”

That did make her cry out. She had her back to the wall as the boys crowded closer, leering at her. She cried out again as Nose-ring and Purple hair grabbed her arms as Tallest stretched the scarf between his hands.

“Don’t worry, omega,” he laughed as he threw the scarf around her neck. Almost faster than she could see it, he tied a tight knot below her chin and held on to one of the ends. She threw her head back and sobbed at the makeshift collar and leash. “We’ll claim you and as long as you make money, you’ll be fine.” He smirked. “That’s what omegas want, right? To be claimed and fucked. Well, we got that covered.”

The boys were laughing and jostling her further down the street when Ryu stepped out of the shop and saw them. Stomping up, he smacked Purple Hair’s head. “What are you doing to Hana?”

All of the boys looked up at him. Tallest nudged his friends. “Hey guys—we can take him.” Purple Hair swished the blade and Tallest smiled up at him. “Move on, man. She’s unclaimed. We’re taking her and you....” He looked up and down at the muscular man, doubt suddenly on his face. “You don’t have to...to do anything. Just walk away, man.”

Ryu stared at Hana as she fumbled to undo the knot that was choking her. “Come with me, Hana.”

Hana nodded desperately and scooted along the wall towards him. The boys grabbed the scarf and tugged her back. Nose-ring reached and pulled out a knife and they laughed again.

Tallest smirked and cocked his head. “You’re outgunned, man. We’ve got the omega and she’s gonna make us rich.” He waggled his finger at the taller man. “And since she’s got no bond mark, she’s fair game.”

Ryu smirked and set down his large bag. “You’re going to have to go through me to get her.” He turned slightly and raised his fists. There was an acrid smell to the air that burned his nose as she tugged against the boys futilely. “Are you sure you want to fight me?”

The boys looked up at him as his muscles flexed and he scowled. Tallest grabbed Hana and shoved Nose-ring forward. “You guys get him. I’ve got her.”

Hana cried out at Tallest grabbed her arms roughly. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared up at the alpha. Tallest kept tugging on her, even his unfinished strength more than hers. She shuddered—and dropped to the ground. As an omega, she was not allowed to fight, but she didn’t have to submit. Not with Ryu here. Tallest growled and tugged on the scarf around her neck, shouting at her and forcing her backward.

Nose-ring and Purple Hair laughed and stalked up to Ryu. He smirked at them. His hand shot out to grab Nose-ring’s hand with the knife. Yanking hard and twisting, he pulled the hand with the knife right at Purple Hair. Purple Hair let out a yelp and dropped back with a scared shout. Whipping Nose-ring’s wrist in a circle, he locked the younger man’s elbow and kneed him in the chest. A lightning quick strike and his palm broke his nose. Nose-ring went down like a rock, shrieking and holding his face.

Spinning towards Purple Hair, he grabbed the younger man’s ragged shirt. Yanking down as hard as he could, he kicked right on his chin. Purple Hair’s head cracked backward and then hung forward limply. Ryu dropped him in the dust and turned towards Tallest with a scowl on his face.

Tallest tugged again on Hana and she grabbed hold of anything she could, staying low to the ground and forcing the idiot to drag her. “Hey man. She’s...she’s—.” His face flushed angrily as he looked at his friends as they moaned and crept away. “She’s unclaimed, man!” He stared up nervously. “Hey...look—we’ll even give you a cut. J-j-just walk away.”

“Ryu! Alpha, p-p-please!” she cried.

Ryu stepped forward. The smell had to be her fear scent—the last ditch effort of a distressed omega to summon help by emitting thick blast of scent. Any alpha in the area would be driven to find her and would hopefully help her. She sobbed again, the scent stronger as she scrambled to grab anything. He smelled that fear scent and he wanted to thrash the whelp holding on to her scarf like that. “This is your last chance to let my omega go.”

“She’s unclaimed, man!” Tallest tugged again, his strength fading at the scowl of the huge alpha. His voice went to a shrill pitch. “There’s no bonding mark! She’s...she’s un-un-unclaimed.”

Ryu jumped and landed behind Tallest. Tallest stared at him, open mouthed. Grabbing both of Tallest’s shoulders, Ryu slammed his head into Tallest’s. Tallest screamed, blood running down his face. Ryu let go and watched him run blindly away.

The acrid smell floated away in the next breeze. It was fading as he walked up to her and pulled her to her feet. She sobbed and looked up anxiously at him. That fear scent was gone when he brushed the dust off of her and untied the scarf from around her neck. Wrapping it loosely around her head and shoulders, he led her to his bag and had her sit on it.

“You okay, Hana?” He looked at her, studied the scrapes on her hands and legs. She would need to be cleaned up carefully to get all the sand and grit out of her cuts. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry, alpha,” she cried trembling against him. He gripped her shoulders as she shook, trying to offer comfort. “I’m sorry—I was out here and they—.”

“It’s okay,” he grunted. He felt her relax against him, rubbing her cheeks against his clothing. “Here—I got you these shoes.”

She used the corner of her dirty scarf to wipe her face. “Thank you, alpha.” He shot her a look. “Alpha. Ryu. I’m sorry.”

“Let’s find Ken and get out of here.” She nodded rapidly and yanked on the stiff shoes. “Come on and we’ll still make it before dark.”

They found Ken negotiating with another seller over a pretty comb. The blond took one look at the dirty face of the omega and the stern look of Ryu and paid what the seller wanted. Stuffing the comb in a pocket, he leaned a bit and whispered, “What the hell happened, Ryu?”

“Let’s just go,” Ryu grunted, looking around to be sure that those ruffians weren’t following him. “She’s had a tough day and we need to get to the dojo.”

They left the market, walking quickly down the rows to escape the maze of stalls. The omega followed Ryu around like a puppy, obediently wrapping her shoulders and neck with the scarf close to her skin. She hung closer to him now, sometimes her hand brushing him. Ken walked beside her for a bit, taking in her dusty clothes and downcast face before going up beside Ryu.

“What happened to her?”

“A couple of toughs tried to get a hold of Hana,” he gritted out. “They surrounded her outside the shoe shop and tried—.”

“Aww, hell.” Ken rolled his eyes. “I assume that you taught them better? Of course you did.”

Ryu glanced to one side quickly enough to see Tallest and Purple Hair slink up to an elderly man and woman in poor hut with no door. The woman gaped and patted them anxiously as their father scowled with his arms crossed over his chest. Both boys glanced and pointed at Hana. The father stared at her bitterly as she recoiled and then saw Ryu and Ken gather closer to her as they walked past. Then he began yelling at the boys.

“So that’s two of them, huh, Ryu?” Ken smirked as they went past. “They have taste, but apparently are stupid if they challenged you.”

Ryu nodded slightly, glancing over his shoulder. “It would be easier if she wasn’t afraid of her own shadow. If she could defend herself.”

Ken shrugged. “Well, an omega’s kind of forbidden—.”

“Yeah, yeah. Forbidden from fighting.” He growled low in his throat. “Forbidden from doing anything.” He sighed, looking at her briefly. “She could have taken them down with a stick.”

“Not the way the world works, Ryu.”

They left the town behind and started up the narrow trail towards Master Gouken’s dojo. From time to time, Ryu glanced over his shoulder to see if she was actually still there. She trailed along, watching everything he had long since grown used to—the old rock that sat flat beside the trail, the tiny stream that trickled nearby, the noisy nest of mockingbirds in the old pine tree.

Ryu found her enthusiastic joy contagious. She loved watching the birds as they flew noisily overhead. She reached down to brush the small wildflowers with a fingertip. She lifted her nose and sniffed, smiling, at the drooping purple wisteria that had taken over a thick tree trunk. She would linger for a moment, then hurry to catch up with them. It was refreshing to see that flush of pleasure on her face, so like the color of her heated smiles.

Strangely, he did not mind her wandering steps. Instead, he stopped to pick a small wild peony and hand it to her. “You were...brave today.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you for...for coming to get me.”

“They were—.” He flushed at her joyful expression. “It was nothing.”

“So...where are we going?”

“To my master.” He gestured up the rocky path. “Master Gouken took me in when he found me as an orphan. He raised me in his dojo high up in the mountains.”

“So this your home up here?”

Ryu ignored Ken’s hoot of laughter. He smirked down at her and scratched the back of his scruffy head. “I guess.”

She looked around, a small bird bursting out of a bush to fly overhead catching her eye for a moment before looking up at him shyly. “I am honored to be taken to your home.”

He nudged her to keep walking and she scampered beside him again, holding the silly flower and sniffing it as she looked around. “You act like...like this is all new to you.”

She sighed and glanced around again, pointing at a rabbit as it hopped into a bush. “It...it’s been a long time.” She flushed, peering around to see if she could see the tiny fluffy animal. “Ever since I presented, I have been kept inside.”

Ryu stared at her in shock. “But that’s...been years, hasn’t it?”

She nodded. “It’s felt longer.” Suddenly she stopped. “But...will he...like me? I mean...I’m just a nobody omega.” She began brushing at her clothing, fiddling with the scarf and dusting off her hair. Abruptly she stared at her bruised and scratched hands and looked up at him with a worried expression. “I’m.... Will he like me?”

Ryu was about to say something, but Ken interrupted. “Master Gouken? He’ll be so glad that Ryu here has finally gotten himself caught that he’ll be welcoming you with open arms. Maybe even throw a party.”

“That’s enough, Ken!”

“Come on, lovebirds,” Ken teased. “We still have a long way to go.”

Ryu only laughed and pointed up the path. She bounded after him. They walked up the path in relative silence, broken only by her occasional sound of amazement at the beautiful scenery. A while later, Ken watched as his friend watched her. “Say, Ryu, why don’t we take a break for a minute? Stretch out.”

Ryu blinked in surprise and then nodded slowly. They got to another wide place in the path and sat down underneath a tree. She peeled off her shoes to dump out a pebble and flexed her toes in the thick grass. She giggled up at her alpha as she played in the long grass. Ryu took out a water bottle and offered her a drink, amused when she took a few hearty gulps.

He took the bottle back and stuffed it away. “You doing okay?” She flushed and nodded. “We are about a third of the way—.”

She glanced at the rocky with wide, uphill path with momentarily awed green eyes and groaned softly. “A third?”

Ken lounged back against the tree. He chuckled, “She’s never going to make it, Ryu.” He stretched lazily. “You’re going to just have to carry her or we’ll never get there.” He shrugged with a grin. "Too bad she's so...weak she can't do it."

Ryu had just thought that, was considering if he could carry her, when he heard her gasp. Her cheeks flushed and her fists curled into tiny fists. He shrugged and muttered to her, “Just do your best.”

She hissed back, “I c-c-can do it.”

“Hey, hey, hey. I never said that you couldn’t,” he smirked. “I’ll help you—.”

She flushed and scowled at the other alpha's feet. “I’ll show him.” She gave him a determined grin instead. “I’ll make you proud.”

He looked at the laughing blond who watched them both eagerly. “Just do your best.”

She nodded, looking up at him with a mutinous pout before putting back on her shoes. Then she set out on the path again. The alphas laughed and picked up their bags before running to catch up with her. For the rest of the hike, any time she flagged or dropped back, Ken would make some comment and she would flush and push harder to keep up. Once, Ryu heard her growl at the casual snark of his friend, even though she didn't look up at hm.

So she was fierce. Not that he had any real doubts about that after seeing her with her rock facing Ken, but it was nice to see. She needed to have some spirit—especially if she ended up following him around. He had been hoping that his scolding hadn't dampened her spirit and definitely had worried that the kids in the market hadn't hurt her.

The first sign they were getting close was a very wide, bald spot under a tori gate. Ryu saw that she was leaning over, weariness in every curve. He and Ken had been doing this since they were boys. In fact, he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t climbed this path. She had probably never done this kind of thing—certainly not the steep and narrow path.

“Hey, Hana,” he said. “Are you okay? Or do you want to rest here?”

She stared up at the big dark gate, her face alight with a type of joy he hadn’t seen there before. “Are we close?” He nodded, staring at her. “I’m...glad.”

“Hell of a day, huh?” He walked up and rubbed her shoulder gently. “Look...I’m sorry.” Her green eyes looked up at his dark ones with confusion. “I didn’t know how important the bonding mark was.”

“It’s okay,” she blushed. “I guess I didn’t explain it well enough.”

He scratched the back of his head and smiled at her. “I wasn’t listening.” He pointed up the path. “We’ve only got a bit longer and we’ll be there.”

“What’s...he like?”

“Master Gouken?” Ryu frowned, trying to find words. “He’s...been like a father to me. He’s...he’s strong and wise. He taught me everything I know.”

She smiled nervously. “Will he...will he like me?”

Ryu smirked as she asked that question again. “I think he will, Hana.” He tugged his bag further up on his shoulder. “If we hurry, we can make it for dinner.” She smiled shyly at that. “Umm...there’s...well.... I should warn you—the dojo is...ummm—.”

Ken joined them with a wide grin. “It’s old. And bare. And—.”

Ryu snarled playfully. “Don’t scare her off, Ken.”

“It’s true.” Ken shrugged easily. “The dojo is over a hundred years old, passed down from teacher to student for generations. The only reason that it even has electricity is that my dad insisted on having heat for me when I trained here.” He peered at her with a comical expression. “Besides, she’s never gonna make it. She’s all worn out.”

Hana trembled, her hands in fists as she glared at his feet. Then she frowned and began walking up the path again with a toss of her hair. Ryu laughed, smacking his fist into Ken’s shoulder. “Well, big mouth, we need to catch up, don’t we?”

Ken laughed and leaned closer to whisper to the other man. “I knew a guy in my neighborhood. To get him to try anything, all we had to do was say he couldn’t do it.”

Ryu laughed and continued walking. The path was at least more defined here—a definite series of bald spots in the grass. She had guts. It was a shame that she was an omega because a fighting spirit like that....

The old stone wall was a welcome sight with its round gate. A few stalks of bamboo stood at each side, along with a pair of traditional stone lanterns. A chain of wide loop links hung from a hook with clever, flower-shaped bells dangling from it. Ken laughed and danced around, walking backwards with his arms wide. “Welcome to the old homestead.”


	6. Chapter 6

Master Gouken had a feeling that he would have company. It was just a hunch, really, but there was the feeling in his bones that someone was coming. When they got to the gate, he heard them jingle the simple chain of bells that hung there. Climbing to his feet, he went to the old wooden door and slid it open to look down the path from the creaking porch.

Ken came bouncing up—his eternal mischief a light in his gait and his face. Ryu was steadier, walking slowly and evenly. Then there was the auburn haired girl who trailed after the Japanese man, looking around at everything as though drinking it in eagerly. She didn’t look like a fighter, but he supposed that anything was possible.

Ken smirked at his sensei and gave Ryu a stage whisper that anyone with ears could hear, “You’re in trouble now, Ryu!”

Ryu’s face turned quite red and he glanced up at the older, bald man who watched them with amused interest. “Quiet, Ken.” He looked up and then bowed solemnly in greeting. “Master Gouken.”

Ken followed suit, bowing equally low but with a smug smile on his face. “Master Gouken.”

The bald master smirked as the girl bowed silently, glancing at Ryu repeatedly as though he would vanish. He bowed solemnly in return. “Ken. Ryu. Welcome back.” Stepping down off the porch, he walked a few steps towards the girl, sniffing the air curiously. “And who is this?”

Hana glanced at him. The old man was a bit taller alpha, and as muscular. His wrinkled skin was as leathery as a purse and he had a messy white beard that went over his chest. He wore a similar outfit to Ryu’s in a worn smooth gray and a tattered black belt at his waist. His pants were ragged just like her alpha's, but he had tied the bottoms to his thick calves with what looked like rope. A string of massive beads—prayer beads—went around his neck almost to his waist. All in all, he looked a little like an immense Japanese Santa. She saw Ryu’s hand gesture slightly down and knelt respectfully as an omega should. “Alpha...sir.”

He bowed shortly to her, amused as she glanced again to Ryu and pulled the scarf over her head and shoulders closer around her. “Do you want to explain this, Ryu?”

Ryu flushed darkly, his head bowing again silently. Master Gouken smirked at his student. “Ken, why don’t you take your bag into your room?” The blond man bowed again and went inside, laughing. He glanced at the girl and saw her turn red. “Ryu—why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”

“Yes, Master,” Ryu nodded. “I was...in a competition. A tournament.” He shrugged and gave her an indistinct gesture. “And she....”

“And she was cheering you on?”

Hana timidly smiled and blurted, “Yes.”

Ryu said, “No,” at the same time.

The young alpha glowered at her until she flushed again and looked down shyly. The old master laughed in amusement as the young alpha gave her a half smirk and then looked down. “And what is your name?”

She kept looking down. “I’ve been called, ‘Hana’, sir.” She swallowed, look at the sparse grass as though it would grown into a bush to hide behind. “By my...my alpha.”

Gouken chuckled at her shy response, then laughed at Ryu’s embarrassed fidgeting. He smirked as though he had figured out the riddle of their story together. “So my student has finally claimed an omega.” She nodded shortly, blushing. “That is good news. Unfortunately, I do not have any alpha suites here, but there is a small cottage in the back that can serve for your privacy. Since Ken is inside, go around the porch rather than through the building, omega.”

She bowed her head respectfully again and—after a short nod from Ryu—all but ran around the porch to disappear out of sight. Gouken nodded at her retreating back and then turned back to his student. She would have some work to clean the cottage properly, but it would be private for them and she wouldn’t be underfoot. Not to mention that it might be good for his students to help her out. “Ryu, come with me.”

Ryu nodded slowly and followed his master inside, brushing off his feet right beside where Ken had shucked off his outside shoes. They knelt on a thin pair of cushions on the wooden floor, facing each other. Again, he bowed over his bent legs, sitting on his heels. “Master Gouken.”

“So you now have an omega,” the master said simply. “Have you claimed her with a bond mark?” Ryu turned red, scratching the back of his head nervously. “And you haven’t married her.” Ken must have been lurking in the hallways because his cackle echoed in the old building. “And I would assume that she has had a heat?”

Ryu nodded, looking down. His master waited patiently to see what else he’d say. “I apologize, Master Gouken,” he sputtered. “But I didn’t feel safe with her in town long enough to consult you and I didn’t know what else to do.”

Gouken scratched his white beard. “The last time I met an omega, I had hair, you know.” He laughed at his own joke, grinning at the solemn face of his student. “But I am glad for you, Ryu. Kanpai.” The younger man nodded again with a shy half-grin. “Congratulations. And now pups are on the way, I guess?”

Ryu shrugged nervously. “I...I don’t know. I guess? It all happened so fast—the competition and her...her heat. Then Ken—.”

“Chonan-chan. Son. It's fine." Gouken sat a little further back. "And now you will know the joy I have had in raising you."

Ryu gave him a bit of a confused and--surprisingly--bitter look. "I suppose. But I don't see how. Why....can't I--?"

"You don't want her?" Gouken's eyebrows raised and he ignored Ken's laughter. "And what is she supposed to do with pups on the way?"

"I don't know." Ryu scowled a little. "I just wanted to fight Ken."

"I raised you better than that." Gouken's voice had a slight edge to it. As he expected, Ken laughed and Ryu only flushed and nodded, staring at the floor respectfully. "I know it is confusing now, but we can figure it out, chonan-chan. So how long are you going to be here?”

Ryu nodded, warmed as always at Gouken’s welcome. When his master addressed him as “oldest son”, it always gave him hope and strength. He was the only father the young alpha had ever known, but he knew he wasn’t blood kin, which made the title even more precious. “I don’t...don’t know.” He puffed out a breath. “I don’t know what to do right now.”

“Stay as long as you need.” He laughed again. “It will do me good to have you all here.”

Ryu sighed in relief. “I had nowhere else to go...with her.”

Gouken stroked his beard lightly. “With a pup, it could be a problem traveling.” A pause. “So have you decided to stay? To take over the dojo at last and raise your pups here?”

“Pups?” He looked away slowly. He hadn’t thought about pups coming. “I...I don’t know.” He shook his head anxiously. “I don’t know what to do with her. How to keep her safe.” He flushed. “She was attacked just in the village.”

“And then what, chonan-chan?” Gouken smirked as though he was listening to a riddle. “I would guess you took care of it?”

“Yes, master.” He puffed out a breath. “But they might carry a grudge against her.”

“Then stay for a while. We can train as we normally do until we can figure what to do. And she is welcome to stay as long as she causes no problems.” The old master smiled. “It would do this old heart good to see pups running around again. There is plenty of room here, plenty of time for us to figure it out.

“Come, Ryu. The day is almost gone and she needs to rest well. Especially if she is going to get that old cottage cleaned up.” They both stood. “She seems nice—polite.” He stroked his beard thoughtfully. “She is mannerly and respectful. She naturally looks to you for direction and support." He gave Ryu a knowing smirk. "I saw how she looked to you for guidance--what you wanted her to do. She is a bit shy, but that is not a bad thing.” He smirked. “And to get this far, I would guess she has some spirit. Also not a bad thing.”

“She said that—well, the tournament said she was trained.” Ryu scratched his head with a look of bewilderment. “But I don’t know what that could mean.”

Gouken smirked. “We’ll discuss it later, if you are curious.” He arched an eyebrow, eyeing his student with a smirk. “Since she has gone through a heat with you, I think it’s likely that she’s going to have your child—or children—and will be fine here for the next few months.”

“Yes, Master.”

“And you and I will have a long talk tomorrow.”

Ryu’s ears turned slightly pink. What was he supposed to say? Don’t scold me? “Yes, Master.”

“Get the omega settled and then you can sleep.” He laughed and clapped his student on his meaty shoulder. “Don’t worry, pup. This is just a new chapter for your training.”

“Master?”

“Hmmm?”

“Master—what am I to do?” Ryu puffed out a breath. “She couldn’t even go to the market.” His master nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “I bought her two pairs of shoes and a group of punks surrounded her and tried to drag her off. She couldn’t even go into the shop with me.”

Gouken nodded slowly again. “It is a trial to be an omega. Perhaps you should meditate on that—how life is different for an omega rather than an alpha.” He grinned. “And don’t worry about her here. Ken is bonded to a mate and I am not a threat.” He held up his hands. “My mate is long gone—a beta who put up with me and this old firetrap with the patience of a saint—and I am far too old to bother a pretty young omega.”

Ryu bowed. “With all due respect, Master, I would never—.”

Gouken gave a big belly laugh. “You don’t fool me, pup. There has never been an alpha who doesn’t worry about their omega! After all, if you didn’t worry about her, you would have let the thugs drag her off.”

“Sir—that’s hardly the same thing! They were going to start...start an exchange! Renting her out like an animal.”

“And? If you didn’t care—you wouldn’t have stopped it.”

“Well...n-n-no. No one deserves to be treated like that.” He puffed out a breath. “It would be dangerous for her to be passed around like that. She could catch something, could die in her birthing, or be injured in a rut.” His hands shook as he stared down at them. “I don’t know how she managed to survive my rut, Master! She is so tiny, Master. She is just so very tiny. I was so rough with her and she was just...there. You didn’t see her after the first peak.”

“Oh?”

“She was covered with bruises. I bit her, Master—on her shoulder and the neck—and there was blood. I don’t see how she managed to walk out of there.” His eyes were anguished as his fists curled tightly on his legs. “It’s not like she is my size. She’s tiny and she’s weak and she’s, well, an omega.”

Gouken stroked his beard knowingly and smirked. “And what does that mean?”

Ryu took a deep breath, setting his hands on his bent knees. “She’s...my opposite, master. You told us an omega is yin to the alpha’s yang. Weakness to alpha strength. Passive to alpha aggression. Retreating to alpha advancing.”

“And tell me, chonan-chan—do you remember the yin-yang? For every yin, there is a drop of yang. Yang has a bit of yin. Could you have taken her place and accepted an alpha’s rut?” Ryu flushed and shook his head. “That is her strength. The strength of the omega and the yang within the yin.”

“Yes, Master.” He sighed. “But I still don’t think I understand.”

"You will learn. If not now, then some time." Gouken grinned. “Tomorrow, we’ll make sure the cottage is livable. You and Ken will both be helping her—getting water, repairing boards and the like. Then you will be training. Don’t worry, pup. We’ll make sure that your omega is settled and has a nest.” He grinned. “A properly claimed and cared for omega will not abandon her nest or your pups.” There was a belly laugh that made even Ryu smile. “And you will finally rest easy.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Now go check on her. I’ll make sure that Ken is settled and doesn’t wander or interfere tonight.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Gouken nodded, amused as the other alpha twitched nervously. “Go on, pup. Get your omega settled and and let this old alpha get some sleep.”

“No one thinks you’re old, Master.”

Gouken nodded in appreciation. They both stood up and went down the halls to where Ryu and Ken had the rooms that they had used when they were both pups learning to throw a punch. Ken lounged against the huge duffle, somehow studiously appearing to reading an upside-down comic book—with the door open conveniently so that he could see and hear exactly what was happening.

“Go through the last door, Ryu, and take the path to the cottage. I’m sure you have some of her things in your big bag and she will settle better in her new place if you are there.”

Ryu nodded, bowing as the Master went to the same room that he had used as long as either pup had known him. Taking the bag out to the tiny cottage, he knocked on the side of the sliding door, just above the sturdy shoes that she had bought her.

“Alpha?” Hana slid open the door. Ryu grinned to see that she was filthy and had a broom in her hand that was covered with dust and spiderwebs. The front room was barren with only a short legged table on the dusty tatami mats. Then through the open doorway he saw the back room. There was a built in bench bed with drawers underneath it. There was a dusty, thin mat on top of the bench. “It’s really dirty.”

“We’ll get it cleaned up tomorrow,” he muttered. He thumped a board and frowned when it wiggled under his fist. A misplaced breeze blew his hair. “Master Gouken has already said we’re going to be helping.” He smiled shyly at her. “I know it’s small.”

Hana stood aside, waving him further in. “No. It’s...cozy.”

Ryu stood in the middle of the cottage, examining the roof and thumping the walls. Only a few boards were loose or needed repair, maybe a loose bit of roof. For all that it was old, the wood was still solid. She was going to be well protected and snug here. Once they got a brazier or something in here, she’d be warm, too—a problem occasionally this high up in the mountains.

Hana brushed off the mat in the back thoughtfully. “I think it could be really nice with some work.”

Ryu gave her a grin and got her settled as much as he could on thinly padded bench. Sitting down in the front room, he listened as she tossed and turned until she slept. It was comforting to be surrounded by the familiar smells of old pine and tatami. The silence had been his friend and his comfort since his earliest memories. Now, there was the added sound of the soft breath of the omega.

Hana. Flower. His flower.


	7. Chapter 7

Almost at dawn, he woke to Master Gouken’s normal call and ran from the cottage. He saw Ken bursting out of the main building, and rushed to the training yard. Surprisingly, Gouken had four buckets and two long bamboo poles. “Good morning, students,” he boomed. “First thing, we need to get plenty of water.”

Ken groaned good-naturedly. “Awww.... We have to—.”

“We have cleaning to do,” Gouken smirked. “And we need plenty of water to do it.”

“What about breakfast?” Ken smirked.

Without answering, Master Gouken tossed a pole to his student and pushed two of the buckets towards him. Ryu bowed solemnly and picked up his pole and buckets. Then they both bolted along the path towards the river.

The morning began to fly by. When they got back with the water, Hana had tea and hot food ready for breakfast. As they began doing their pushups, she cleaned the dishes and began cleaning the tatami in the cottage. They caught brief glances of her as she kept moving, scrubbing the porches, washing down the boards and the walls and sweeping everything. By the time the afternoon workout came around, she had the thin padding out on the porch to dry and air out. Then Ryu’s wash was out—causing Ken to snicker—drying in the sun next to the cheap dress the shop keeper had given her.

The big alpha was surprised to see how much cleaner the cottage was that afternoon. She smiled shyly at him, pulling the small cabinets open and crawling into them to chase out the spiders and bugs. He grunted, “Master Gouken wants us all to eat together before training resumes.”

Hana nodded slowly, glancing away for a moment. “I suppose that he wants to show me the vegetable gardens, too.” Finally, she grinned a little. “Is this the wrong time to tell him I practically hate gardening?”

Ryu smirked and let out a chuckle. “The gardens aren’t so bad. The well is just down the path.” She looked nervous for a moment. “Ken and I used to think he took in students just to have someone else deal with the garden.” She laughed at his corny joke. “And after dinner, he wants to talk to us specifically.”

“Oh, goody.”

“It won’t be that bad.” He smirked at her. “Likely, he wants to talk about what we’re going to do.”

“At least this is clean,” she smiled. “We can sleep in a clean nest tonight.”

“That will be a plus,” Ryu grinned back at her. He looked around, surprised at how much better everything was. “It looks a lot better in here now.”

The meal was another simple affair of vegetables, rice and some pickles. Ryu flushed as Hana sat again behind him, taking servings from his plate in silence as he and Ken talked. Gouken was almost silent as he ate, listening to them talking.

“So, Ryu, what’s next?” Ken sputtered around a mouthful of rice. “What happens to you and Hana?”

Master Gouken grunted, “Ken, that is not your concern.” He picked up another pickle. “And if you do not drop it, then we can always go to train.”

Ken groaned, his eyes bugging out as he looked to his master. Then his gaze went to Ryu as he calmly took another bite of rice. “Uhh...no.”

“Good.”


	8. Chapter 8

That evening, Hana’s hand shook as she finished cleaning up the dinner dishes. Ryu had run off and gotten her another bucket of water so she had something cool and refreshing to drink as she washed and dried the dishes. “What’s he going to—?”

“I don’t know.” He picked up the next dish and began drying it. “He just said to meet him at the garden after the dishes are clean.”

She looked up at him, picking up a cup and washing it without really looking at it. “What do you want me to do?”

He sighed, taking the cup from her and drying it. “Just be polite.” She nodded silently, picking up the last plate. “He is like a father to me and I owe everything to him.” He raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice. “So I expect your good behavior.”

She nodded slowly. “I will do my best.” She tilted her head, glancing around. “I’m glad to be in your home.”

He chuckled. “I suppose that it is, but most of the time, I’m traveling.”

“Oh.”

He dried the plate. “That’s all of them.”

She touched his hand. “So...just be polite?”

“Master Gouken is kind of old-fashioned,” Ryu muttered. “He is the last in a long line of Shotokan masters. Traditions are all through this school, this whole area.” She put the dishes away in their cabinet, her brow furrowed as she thought about his words. “Sometimes it seems like this place will never change.”

She nodded up at him, nibbling her lip. “I guess everyone feels that way about their parents at times.” She dried her hands slowly. “I suppose that...I guess we should go out?” Her lip pouted out slightly. “He’ll be upset, I guess, if we don’t go now?”

Ryu nodded and led her out to the porch. She fell into her normal place a few paces behind him. Silently, he walked down the path in the dying light of the sunset. Gouken was at the far end of the vegetable garden, apparently staring at the fireflies as he waited for them by the ancient well. Ryu got close and the master grinned at him.

“Master Gouken,” he bowed. The omega knelt quietly behind him, her head bowed. “What can I do for you?”

“Ryu,” he bowed in return. He looked down at Hana with a gentle smile that she couldn’t see with her head bowed. “Will you let your omega join us for a brief word?”

“Hana,” Ryu said softly.

“Yes, alpha,” she whispered.

“Come speak with Master Gouken.”

“Yes, alpha.”

Gouken smirked and addressed his student. “Could she at least get off her knees? Not that she is not a good omega, but it would be a shame for the ants to make a feast of her.” He chuckled again. “And it would make the ants lazy.”

At Ryu’s nod, Hana got to her feet and slid up closer to him. Nervously, she stood close to him, her fingertips on his arm as she nearly nuzzled his skin. Master Gouken smirked at them both with all the wisdom of his years and pointed to a path highlighted with small candles in little stone lanterns beside it that disappeared into a stand of bamboo. Ryu nodded again, familiar with the path and went to walk with the master as Hana followed behind them. “Ryu, you have been my student for almost all of your life. No father could be more proud than I am of you.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“I am confident that your father and your mother have found their place in paradise and look down with pride in what you have accomplished.”

“Thank you, Master.”

They walked a bit further onto the clearly trodden path. Ryu smiled in fondness—this was the path that he had run many times as he trained as a pup. It was a good place that he had always enjoyed because the path was smooth and wide and always smelled of green growing things as it wandered through the thick stand of wild bamboo to come out near a sparkling clear lake to circle back to the beginning in a wobbly loop.

Master Gouken cleared his throat. “And now, you have claimed an omega, Ryu.” He walked on, seeing Ryu’s pale form at his side. “An omega who does you honor, respects you. It is as I told you years ago. Your discipline, your fidelity, your respect, your honor and your strength inspires the same in your omega. I have seen that she works hard to make you proud and to earn your regard.” He laughed to himself. “And I do not doubt that it has been hard work to clean out that little cottage.

“I have taught you all of the Shotokan karate arts and you have lived up to all of my expectations. No matter what challenges I have given, you have succeeded. I have always been glad of the day that I found you and brought you here.”

“Thank you, Master.”

They walked for a bit longer, finally coming out to the lake that sparkled in the last golden breath of the day. Hana’s breath caught at the brilliant reflection, and she paused to watch it for a moment. Gouken stopped as well, pointing at her and nudging the younger alpha with a smirk. The little omega was allowed a moment to enjoy the sunset and Ryu didn’t seem to mind the pause in their walk to watch her. Besides, here was as good a place as any for what he had to say.

“Ryu, you have always made me proud. I have no doubt that you will prove to be one of the greatest Shotokan masters of our time.” Ryu looked up at him with a smile of bashful pride. “But above all the things that I have taught you, I want to be sure that you have learned this lesson.”

“What is it, Master?”

Gouken took in a deep breath. “It is far more important to know the proper way to treat her than it ever is to know Shotokan.”

“Master? I don’t understand.”

“Ryu...show me your omega’s neck.” Gouken tugged on his ghi, loosening it to show the scar at the join of his massive neck to his muscular shoulders. Ryu gasped to see the clear, red scar of a bond mark. “Show me her bond mark.”

Ryu blinked uncertainly. Gesturing to Hana, he smiled at her and gently unwound the scarf from her head and shoulders. The old master looked at her with a friendly smile on his face and then nodded, taking a step back. She cocked her head with an embarrassed blush, looking aside in faint embarrassment and showing her neck. Ryu flushed as well, stepping aside a half step and handing Hana the scarf again. The omega covered up again, her moist eyes going back for a moment to the lake before bowing her head again. 

“Ryu—I did not see a bond mark.”

“With...respect, Master, there is no—.”

“No bond mark, Ryu?” Gouken crossed his arms, shrugging the neckline back into place. “Have I taught you nothing?”

“Sir!” Ryu bowed. “I made sure.... That is—.”

“Ryu?”

“I bandaged it, sir.” He bowed again, his eyes down and his face flaming. “I didn’t know what else to do since it was bleeding so badly.” 

Gouken looked solemnly at the omega for a moment. Good manners would say that she could say nothing without Ryu’s consent and from the look on her face, anything she would say would be angry. She crowded a little closer to him as well, obviously taking comfort in his presence and trying to offer her support to him in return. “Do you understand how important it is for her to be marked?” He grinned sympathetically at Ryu’s downcast and disappointed face. “As good a student as you normally are, I rather expect it is my teaching that is at fault.”

“N-n-no, Master Gouken.” Ryu whispered, his dark eyes worried. “This is my—.”

“You do not remember my mate, even though she mothered you as a pup. Up until her death, she loved you as her own. As a beta, she was not able to have any pups of her own and loved you like you were the last child on earth.” Gouken stroked his beard wisely. “Perhaps I failed you by not taking another mate and showing you how an alpha treats a mate. Without that clear example, perhaps I have failed to show you the importance of such things as bond marks and perhaps I have failed in this important lesson.”

“It is my fault, Master Gouken.” Ryu would not meet his eyes and the omega glanced up to the old master with an anxious flush before looking down again. “I...I didn’t want....”

Gouken stared out at the lake. “Ryu, why did you not allow the bond mark?”

He swallowed heavily. “I.... It looked hideous. It was a wound—a terrible bite—and I thought it was better to take care of it so that it would heal well.” Unconsciously, he patted her nervous hand and felt her pull away. “I tended the wound the best I knew how because...I wouldn’t want to have someone put a scar on me.”

“And do you intend to keep Hana?”

Ryu stared thoughtfully at the lake. “I didn’t—.” 

There was a whisper of a sound behind them, which made Ryu turn around to look at Hana. Even though she had her head bowed in respect, Ryu could see her hands were in tense, tight little fists against her legs.

“Ryu, if you do not plan on keeping her, then what is she to do?”

“I don’t know.” He let out an impatient breath. “I didn’t want to keep her at first but—. I guess...?”

Gouken waited for a moment as his student went quiet. Even if Ryu hadn't noticed it, he heard her little gasp. “Perhaps you would give me a clearer answer without the omega here.” Without waiting for the other man to finish, he added. “You can take her back to the cottage and return here.”

“Yes, Master.”

The old alpha bowed shallowly towards the omega. “I apologize for upsetting you, Hana. I am not trying to hurt you, only to determine what should be done next. Forgive an old alpha for doing what he thinks is right.” She gave him a tight little nod. “Ryu will walk you back now and I hope that you sleep well tonight.”

Ryu hurried her through the path and slid her into the cottage. “Hana—I’m sorry.”

“He’s wrong!” she hissed. “You do wonderfully.”

“Hana,” he replied solemnly. “He’s doing what he feels is right. He’s not trying to hurt your feelings.” He gave her a half smile. “He’s trying to help you too. To make me a better...a better alpha.”

“You’re still a good alpha.” She looked up at him with tears running down her face and then went back to the second room and slid the door closed. Then he turned and ran back down the path to where his master was waiting.

“Master Gouken, let me explain—.”

“It would seem that explanations are unnecessary. However you got her, you have an omega. You have not given your omega a bond mark. And now you have brought her here.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Do you understand that without your bond mark, she is defenseless?” Ryu couldn’t help his snort. His master glared at him with his arms over his chest. “You disagree?”

Ryu flushed. “Ken would disagree.”

“Oh?”

“We were sparring and she...she—.”

“Yes?”

“She threw a rock at him.”

Gouken seemed to be amused. “Did she hit him?”

“She...cut his cheek.” Ryu sighed impatiently, eager to get it out. “And then ran between us with another rock.”

Gouken chuckled. “A fierce little thing, is she?”

“I suppose. It still shamed me that she interfered.” Ryu let out an irritated puff. “I don’t think that she realizes how lucky she is that it was just Ken.”

“And what did you do?”

“I sent her inside. I suppose...I scolded her. A little. And then I apologized to Ken.”

“And what did Ken say?”

“It doesn’t matter. She shamed me. And she attacked an alpha. Not to mention that it was his house we had been in for during the heat.”

Gouken nodded slowly. “It would have been his right as an alpha to ask for her to be punished. What did he say?”

“He said...it was okay. He said she was fierce and that she....” Ryu puffed out a breath. “But there’s no place in any tournament or street fight for an omega to be running between two fighters. She could have gotten hurt—badly.”

Gouken nodded with a grin. “Yet you still were worried about her safety.” He chuckled softly. “And still are, unless I miss my guess.

“You were with her during her heat. I would presume that you stayed with her, gave her relief. Then you denied her the opportunity to have your mark. So now she likely carries your pups and has no protection.” He sighed thoughtfully. “Without your mark, Ryu, she has no way to prove that she is claimed. Anyone can try and take her—force a new claim on her. And if they force that claim on her, your pups could be in danger.

“Ryu, this dojo was built to pass on not only the Shotokan style, but to pass on our values from one generation to the next. You are a fine student, but you need to be more than that. If you do not want this responsibility, then you need to be merciful and make sure that she goes somewhere that she will be safe. Hopefully at that point, someone else will claim her and keep her well and safe.”

“No!” Ryu growled. “If that happens, my pups could be....”

"True," Gouken nodded sagely. “If you give her up, then there is no telling what will happen to the pups. On the other hand, if you want to keep her, Ryu, you need to claim her. Give her your bond mark, or accept that eventually someone else will.”

“I brought...her here to keep her safe.” Ryu sighed bitterly. “I have never had another home and I couldn’t find anywhere that she would be safer.”

“You brought her here, but you do not intend to stay here. You intend to leave her behind like you leave one of your pants or a spare pair of your training gauntlets. What did you intend her to do? Bear the pups here, alone?”

“I don’t know.”

Gouken snorted. “Leaving her without income, without means to take care of her nest and pups—that is not what I taught you. This dojo was built to help students face their problems, not to hide from them.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Like the black belt you wear, a bond mark is an outward symbol of a deeper commitment. That you intend to be sure that she is safe for all of her days.” Gouken sighed, looking at Ryu’s dejected face. “Don’t worry, pup. You already know that she is safe here. She is welcome as long as I am master of the dojo. You did the right first step.”

“Master—I don’t know what to do next.” Ryu stared at the slender, pale stripe that was the lake now that the sun had gone down. “I have....” He sighed. “I guess I always thought I’d be free to train. To go prove myself and always to be better and stronger.” He pounded his fist into his palm restlessly. “I know I can be stronger.”

Gouken nodded, a huge dark shadow with a pale swath of beard that seemed to glow like the beam of a new moon. “An omega is actually far stronger than we alphas. They take the violence of the rut and from that violence they create new life. Over and over, the cycle goes on and omegas continue to do what alphas cannot. What betas cannot. They face death in a hundred different ways from competing alphas to simple diseases that do not affect those stronger and larger. They go through the valley of death and look into oblivion for each pup, each birth.

“And make no mistake Ryu. You have a extraordinary omega. Omegas rarely have easy lives and their training can be humiliating and brutal in ways that you cannot imagine. Often their spirits shatter even if their minds do not. Those who are not so fortunate to have family to make arrangements with a compatible alpha are often put into exchanges or given to the first one to come forward with an interest in them. Somehow, your Hana survived that, survived any training she had, survived all that she had to go through to get to you without being destroyed. 

“She is attached to you in a singular and deep way. Enough to bear your rut. Enough to follow you here. Enough to agree to stay in that cottage even though you and I both know that no one has lived there in years. Enough to take up whatever weapons she could to defend you against an alpha easily twice her size even though it would certainly mean her death.”

“Her death?!”

“There are only a few crimes that are capital offenses for an omega. Most are the responsibility of whichever alpha claimed them. But, killing their pups or killing an alpha—there is no escape for them, then.”

“With respect, Master—she could have hardly killed Ken.”

“Of course. Ken is a skilled fighter who could have easily defended himself against one omega and a rock. He probably stopped the fight as soon as he noticed her and laughed it off. But think of the other fighters who have opposed you. Would they do the same? Would they have been stopped the fight to get her out of the way?”

Ryu had nothing to say as Sagat’s face bloomed in his mind. The huge Muy Thai fighter would have probably plowed a fist right into her without a thought simply because he would not be stopped from killing his target. Vega would have sliced her to ribbons and licked her blood off his gauntlets just to see him flinch. Zangeif would have likely shoved her away, cracking her body and head against the concrete wall. Any opponent might attack her on the sidelines just because she was there. He frowned, appalled at the danger he realized only now she was facing as she was in the cage over the ring. Any wild attack could have hurt her terribly.

“I told her to stay where I put her and to never do that again.”

“Oh? And what did she do then?”

“She asked if she could cheer for me.” He shook his head. “I told her not to distract me.”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“I can’t be distracted during a fight, Master.”

“I know. Just like I know that probably you told yourself you would never touch her again after that first rut.” Ryu gasped in surprise, his dusky cheeks coloring. “I know because that was what I thought the first time my mate was with me during a rut.

“I know that you are new to these responsibilities. I know that you need time and I am glad to give you that time. These are your decisions and you face the consequences of them. Do not make these decisions in haste and remember your training.”

Gouken smirked in the darkness. “Now go and spend time with your omega. She is in an entirely new place and will need your support. I like her. She will do you honor and has earned my respect.”

Ryu couldn’t help but smile. Despite being scolded, he felt warmed by the big alpha’s concern and affection. “Yes, Master. Thank you.”

“I will keep Ken occupied tonight.” Gouken smirked in the gathering darkness. “If you intend to keep her for yourself, to keep your pups, then this is what you should do. There are a few more candles downstairs in the kitchen, along with matches. It is a beautiful evening. Go to your omega and give her your mark.

“On the other hand, if you do not wish to keep her, then do nothing and I will help you find an exchange or someone who can find a place for her to be safe. If you do not want to have them, then it is your responsibility as her alpha to ensure that she ends up somewhere safe.” He kept his voice steady to offer the young alpha support, no matter his choice. “You will give up the pups and be free to train and travel as you have been.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Go on to the omega, pup.” The old alpha smirked, as though he already knew what the answer was. “Go and stop making this old alpha jealous.”

****************  
Ryu sped away, his feet flying over the dirt path. He knew every inch of this path, had run it countless times—even in the dark—and he was floating through it with ease. Bursting out of the bamboo grove, he pounded through the garden and up to the cottage.

He stopped, staring at the closed door for a moment. What was he going to say to her? He didn’t know. He hadn’t even known what he was going to with her until just now. Now, with Master Gouken’s wise words, he realized that he was actually eager to claim her. He was even starting to warm to the idea of pups. He didn’t know what he was going to do, exactly, but there seemed to be new opportunities—a whole new array of possibilities that he had never even thought about. It sent a thrill through him that there were all these new ideas. It was like he was still a novice and there seemed no end to what he could learn.

He looked at his bare feet and bushed them off. If only he was as smooth as Ken, he would know what to say. He would know what to do—how to make her feel special. There wasn’t anything around here so he couldn’t take her out anywhere. He couldn’t even get her a drink. How was he supposed to make her agreeable to this--to viciously ripping her skin again so much that it would scar into a bond mark?

As he dithered and dusted off his feet again, he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. Almost without sound, the old master walked calmly out of the grove. After a bit, Gouken brought out a large quilt and set it on the porch. Then, equally calmly, he went back inside, not even nodding at Ryu.

Hana listened as the heavy footsteps on her porch went away. She had been sure that her alpha was going to come in, but then there was nothing. Idly, she picked up the broom to chase one more thread of spiderweb out of a corner. The two young alphas had come in and out with hammers and nails and spare boards. Under the big master’s guidance, they had fixed the few loose boards and the one area of the roof as she had fixed lunch. The whole place smelled of old wood and new and the clean earth and made her feel welcome and warm. From somewhere a pair of paper lanterns appeared, giving her a warm light, and Ryu had unpacked a pair of light blankets. Master Gouken had brought out a spare futon and she had spread it in the back room with the blankets after airing it out in the warm sunlight.

Still, it was lonely without Ryu. Even though she had only known him a little while, she missed him. It was greedy for her to want so much of his attention. Everyone knew alphas needed a bit of space. She had tried to tread lightly, not demand so much that it made him reconsider taking her. Absolutely, she needed more than ever to make him proud since all he had to do was to go downhill to find someone to take her off his hands if she was a problem. So, she was willing to wait even if the waiting made her more anxious.

Maybe he was waiting for her to go to bed. She was exhausted since she had been cleaning since early this morning and the morning would come quicker if she slept anyway. Without much other thought, she peeled off the scarf and set it aside in one of the newly cleaned cabinets. There wasn’t much else to do.

She blew out the lantern in the bedroom and huddled underneath the blankets. He could elect to come in or not, but in the meantime, she could sort of virtually cuddle him by wrapping in his blankets and breathing in his scent.

Her eyes were closing and she was settling into sleep when she heard the soft knocking on her door. It was hard, but she did get herself out of bed and to the door. Sliding it open, she looked at Ryu’s anxious face.

“Come with me,” he ordered in soft rush of words.

She peered up at him curiously. “Yes, alpha. Let me get my—.”

“No,” he grinned. “It...it’s just us.”

“Okay.”

He led her back through the winding path to the lake. Small candles were lit and sitting on rocks and flat places, giving small pools of light. On a thicker patch of grass, there was a pale quilt spread out. He led her there, had her kneel on the quilt and sat down beside her. The night was calm and the lake glistened slightly in the darkness.

“Hana,” he whispered, pushing a lock of hair over her ear. “Are you sure about this?” Her face looked confused in the scant light as she nuzzled him gently. “I mean...this is just me. I don’t have money or anything like Ken. Mostly, I just walk or hitchhike.” She nodded. “I just go from tournament to tournament and fight to fight. Sometimes I win and sometimes there is money, but sometimes there just isn’t.

“I want to know that you’re okay with this. There are a lot of times that I get just enough to survive. Then there is a lot of training. Master Gouken teaches me when I am here. If...if I claim you, then there’s just this. There will always be work to be done—in the gardens or cleaning. There may be times that I will be gone—traveling to China or Brazil or India or somewhere—and I might not be back for months.” He waggled his feet in the dim light. “My feet are only fast in the fight. Not so much for traveling.

“If I claim you—mark you—then there’s nothing else. This is my home—the only place I’ve ever called home. There’s just me and Master Gouken. Sometimes Ken comes along, but never for long—especially since he has a bonded omega of his own in America.” He chuffed out a short laugh. “She doesn’t always travel with him when he comes to Japan.”

She leaned against him, her cheek against his shoulder. “I see.”

“It’s not fair,” he whispered, nuzzling her hair in return. “It’s just the way things are. For me.” He sighed as she slid closer against him. Unbearably, she was warm and soft and that made him sigh heavily. She must be expecting the kind of life that she had seen as he had been visiting Ken. It hurt him viscerally to think about her leaving him, but he needed to do what was best—even if it meant telling her good-bye. Then it hurt even more that she nuzzled him again and that soft scent of her skin went to his nose because he knew he never wanted her to leave. “I don’t know anything else. All I’ve done, everything I am, has been to train, to fight. The only thing I know is Shotokan.”

“You must be very good,” she said softly.

“I’m still not good enough.”

She smiled in the darkness. “I think you’re the best in the world.” At his nervous chuckle, she added softly, “But I might be biased.”

He did laugh at that. “Maybe, but...I like hearing it.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “If...if I mark you, then you are mine and your pups are mine and you will be here where you are safe.” He puffed out a breath. “Master Gouken will be here too, but the only way that you and the pups will have anything is for me to keep fighting—.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“I mean it—there’s just this. And me gone all over the place.”

“Okay.”

He couldn’t believe his ears for a second. She couldn’t possibly be saying she wanted to stay here rather than what someone else could give her. “What?!”

“Okay.” She shrugged a little, scooting right up against him. “There’s the garden—I’ll have food. We’ll have enough food. Maybe the lake or the river has fish. And the cottage is cozy now.”

“It’s...it’s nothing like what another alpha could give you. Even Edmond Honda in Tokyo could give you a better life—a real place to live, an income. He teaches sumo and has written books. Even when he loses he attracts a big crowd.” Ryu shrugged, trying to not pressure her the way that his master had not pressured him. “Compared to me, he’s really wealthy—enough to go to fights all over the world and afford all kinds of luxuries. I can...take you to him—or to a better alpha—if you want...more.”

She looked up at him, a frown on her face that he could sense more than see. “But I.... Did I offend you? Or upset your master? Are you...trying to get rid of me?” 

He smiled and hugged her close and trying to savor her feel. “No—nothing like that. But I want to be sure you know you have options.” He shrugged. “I...I don’t have...anything that is worth anything. Just what I am and what I carry around in my bag. I didn’t even know how omegas...did things like...shopping until Ken told me.” He nuzzled her gently. “I don’t think I know how to do anything but fight so I don’t know how to deal with pups or how to help you.” He let out a disappointed sigh. “I really didn’t know how important it was for you to be marked. All I can do is try to make it right.”

“Okay.” He felt her lean against him and brush a kiss to his bare shoulder. “If...you want to.”

Ryu paused and laid her down on the blanket. “I...I—.” He flushed and stroked her body. “I don’t know how.” He laid down beside her. “How do I mark you without hurting you?”

“It only hurts a moment.”

“In a heat.” His eyes were still worried and he stroked her skin anxiously. "But what about now?"

Hana was warm and soft when he laid next to her. Stroking her skin, he marveled that she was still so lithe, so welcoming. Her scent was not so thick, so heady or overpowering, but it was inviting and tempting nonetheless. She yielded so sweetly. He was overpowered by her surrender as her arms and legs spread to reach for him. His hands shook as he brushed the skirt off her body and skimmed the t-shirt off her shoulders.

Then her skin was bare and opened to his touch. Settling on his side, he lapped her skin, teasing her nipples. She grinned and reached up to stroke his thick muscles, pulling him closer so that she could kiss him ever so softly. She whispered against his lips, praising him as his hand reached to cup her breast.

Was it his imagination, or were they fuller? His mind whirled as he imagined them growing to fill his hands and to nourish his pups. Her belly was soft as he touched it and he imagined his pups growing there and swelling sweetly. Her hips shifted and he fingers dipped into the sweet slick.

Her hands came to his shoulders to roll him on his back. She was weak, soft—her touch gentle. It was hard to believe that battle hardened alphas were wrought from such softness. He went to his back willingly, let her push his sleeveless top off of him. Her simple kisses brushed his skin, caressing all the little marks and scars from his rough life and chosen studies.

From kissing and lapping at his chest, her lips went down to his belly. Her fingers went along the simple tie waistband of his battered pants. He guided her hands to the simple knots, helping her undo them. With an impatient sound, she began tugging them down. He hissed as her gentle hands stroked his hardening cock and ever so carefully pulled it out.

Hana kissed the tip, dragging her tongue along the slit at the top. Her lips brushed the sensitive skin, making him jump slightly. His fingers threaded uncertainly through her hair, trying to wordlessly encourage her, praise her as she worked his pants off. He planted his feet on the ground and pushed his hips up so she could slide his last clothing off. He never figured out how her lips kept suckling him and she got his pants down, but he was glad she did. Her lips circled his cock so firmly, making his whole body throb as she released him. His eyes closed as she kept it up as though she was worshipping him.

She took in a deep breath and moved up. He couldn’t help whimpering from the sudden, intense feeling of being neglected. She let out a soothing sound, her hands came to trace his muscles. As though she were memorizing him, she traced his every feature before coming to rest on his stomach. The omega’s two hands went to his cock and stroked him until he throbbed. Then her mouth followed the path of her hands again, kissing and lapping at him.

He was a marvel, her alpha. So strong and hard and her opposite. How did omegas who were soft come from such strength? He was so gentle with her, too—pressing a finger into her core appreciatively and curling it to that little place that made her shiver. Then he did it again and again, until she rode his slick soaked finger with abandon.

Ryu grinned in the darkness to feel her respond. Without the insistence and immediacy of the heat, things were slower, more natural. It was easier to hear all of her little sounds, feel all of the small ways she told him without words what she liked. The rhythm was the soothing lapping of a rhythm, of a low tide coming to shore.

With a roll of his hips, he had her beneath him. His cock slid into her core slowly, reverently, and he thrilled to hear her gasp. Another slow push and she wailed. Music came to his ears as she pushed her hips up and it was soft music made of pants and moans and night sounds of frogs and crickets.

“Tell me that you want this, Hana,” he pleaded in a soft whisper.

“Alpha!” She whispered softly in his ear, “I want you. I want you to claim me.”

Never had he heard such a keenly omegan thing. Never had he felt such a sweet surrender. Then he heard her soft protesting moan as he pulled out to drop his lips to kiss her all over as she had kissed him. His tongue touched the slick between her legs, tasted the tangy honey and knew it was her welcoming response to him. The thrill of conquest shot through him.

Without hesitation, he drug his tongue all over her core, drinking in her essence and craving more. His tongue dug into her, trying to coax more out. She shook, her legs flailing and still spreading wider. And when he took that tight little bump of nerves into his mouth, she bucked hard and called his name.

Even without the pressure of the peak of the cycle, she was welcoming him in willingly. His mind almost didn’t believe it. She had been covered in bruises, her skin torn from his teeth clamping down. He had rolled her over and over, his strength far superior to hers, and arranged her as he saw fit so that he could drive into her. There had been nothing but the burn of her heat in is body and the rut in his head and the desperation to satisfy the knot throbbing in his cock. Why would she want to return to that just for him?

Her hips curled to drive him deeper, to take more and more of him. He shuddered, his hands tightening to hold her still as he balanced on his knees. He couldn’t understand why she wanted this—why she wanted to have him again. Why would she accept this? Why accept being hurt again, humiliated again, only to have just him?

The words were torn from him. “Tell me you want this.”

“I want this.” Her voice was a thin thread of sound. “I want you...to be my alpha.”

“You are so eager,” he whispered gently against her skin. Amazement crept into his voice. Had she been this eager during that heat? Abruptly he shook. “Why are you so eager for me to hurt you again?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” she whispered back, arching upward. “It’s doesn’t hurt.”

He bit his lip and his hips surged forward. He whined as she bucked, her arms around him and tugging on him. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but simply nodded and kept thrusting. If he kept his mind clear—listening to her panting whines and studying the shivers of her body—he wouldn’t have to remember her bruised and battered body from the heat.

Why she was eager to do it again, he had no idea.

Her legs came up to his waist and the new angle was delicious in its roaring pleasure. He could not stop as he realized what he was feeling—her total acceptance of him. He thought he did not need to understand, only to accept this like a child greedy for another bit of cake, but he knew he must understand why she was so eager. Another thrust and she whined and nipped his skin and made him jerk nervously.

He lapped at her skin, feeling the small bump. It wasn’t swollen and hard like in a heat, but it gave off a bit of her scent as he teased it. Just a little more, let her become insensible with pleasure.... Let her be distracted, he thought, and she would not feel his teeth so much.

He wanted to weep for a moment. He was distracting his omega with pleasure so that he could hurt her. Then she would carry his mark for the whole of her life, along with nurturing his pups inside her body before giving them life through agony and blood. And all he could do was distract her with pleasure.

His hand slid to rub that delightful little bundle of nerves between her legs that made her jerk. Slick swamped him. He couldn’t help the speed of his thrusts and how they pounded deeper into her. She stroked his skin, tugging on him.

Her moans were not even words when he leaned over her neck again. With a sudden prayer, he latched onto her. His teeth dug in and he was almost sick with the taste of blood. It was her blood and seemed to flash bright red through him. His stomach roiled.

She screamed, her core convulsing around his throbbing cock. He would have pulled back then, but instead her hands came up to hold his head down. His teeth stilled as much as he could before releasing her skin. Rolling her hips up and down, she panted and seemed to be whimpering anxiously.

“Shhhh,” he whispered. “It’s over now.” He lapped at her broken skin. It seemed to soothe her when he gently slid in and out and she whined again. “It’s done.”

Instead, she shook her head. Everything felt hot and made her want to move as his cock slid gently into her again. “More.” With a whine, her hips went up to grind into him. “Don’t stop.”

He closed his eyes and nuzzled her gently. She thought he needed to be sated? He was not a novice in his first rut. He had done what he needed to do and she needed to do nothing else. “You don’t need to do anything more,” he whispered. “You were so...brave.”

Instead, she bucked up again. His breath hissed between his teeth and lightning crackled in his blood as she whined. He rolled and pulled her on top of him. Rest. She needed to rest. She needed to drink and eat and rest. She needed to....

Hana arched and ground down on his cock. Her core burned as she kept thrusting. He tensed, his muscles flexing and rolling, but there was nothing else except to grind up and down harder and faster. With all of that pleasure burning in her veins, she pushed down. His cock was filling her to the brim even outside the heat.

“Please. Please. Please.” Ryu’s eyes widened and she hesitantly gave an experimental bounce, gasping as the throbbing in her core spread. Gathering her legs she did it again and then again, rocking above him. His desperate sound made her go faster. He held still, letting her go faster and harder without flinching. “Please, alpha.”

One more desperate thrust, one more roll of her hips, and they both felt the fire consume them. She squealed and pressed clumsily down to clench as hard as she could, her nails scraping his stomach as her climax rolled over her. 

Ryu hissed and his hips jutted up, his stomach clenched tight as though she was going to punch him. His fists sparked—the flickers obvious in the dark night—and he bucked up hard. Gasping for an uneven breath, he felt her clamp down even harder in her climax and her core fluttered wildly. His eyes squeezed shut and he felt the rippling electricity of the Hado crackle through him as his own climax shot through him. Stars blurred between the ones he saw in the sky and the ones dancing in front of his eyes as his seed shot up into her with pleasure so intense that he felt racked with it. Suddenly he felt the power of the Hadoken burst out in unsteady fireworks above them.

She gasped, shuddering as the blue sparks rained down. “Wha...?”

He sighed, laughing uncertainly as he panted for air. She leaned further down on top of him, glancing up uncertainly at the sky. “It’s not...lightning if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She kissed him gently. “What was that?”

Scooting her around, he whispered, “That is a special technique. The power of ki harnessed and channeled in a technique I learned from Master Gouken.”

She stared up in amazement one more time. “It’s...beautiful.”

“He taught us—Ken and I—that.” He grinned in the darkness at her. “It’s all beautiful, but that’s my favorite. The blue is a noble color, Master Gouken said—a color of peace and serenity.” He stared up breathlessly at the sky. “He said that as long I was noble, upheld his teachings, it would remain as a sign to all.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “And I intend to keep it that way.

“When the pups are old enough, skilled enough, I want to teach it to them. I want them to be noble and honorable. And then they can fill the sky like that.”

Hana nodded and yawned. “I want to see that, too.”

“As long as we keep on the path, do our duties honorably and follow the cornerstones of Shotokan as he taught me and as I will teach them, then it will happen.”


	9. Chapter 9

Ryu awoke to find Hana looking at him with a shy smile. They had lain on the blanket, staring up at the stars briefly before curling together. He had scooted over and pulled the quilt over her. He had slept outside before, was immune to the small discomforts of it. But now the soft omega was with him and he wanted to protect her.

In the morning light, she was still soft, still curled right up to him. He smiled back at her nervously. For just a moment more, he wanted to believe she would not be as damaged or frightened as she had been before. Just one more moment in the sun, one more golden and relaxed moment, where he could believe that the vast pleasure he had felt was not bought by her pain.

She raised up on her elbow and kissed him. “Good morning.”

“Are you okay?” he blurted out staring at the wound on her neck.

“Never better,” she grinned. “Thank you.” She stroked her neck lightly with a silly grin. “Thank you for your mark.”

He smirked nervously. “If this is so important, then...I’m glad.” He touched the mark himself, his fingers running over the crisp scabs in a circle on her skin. “But I don’t like hurting you.” She smiled slightly, looking shocked and pleased as he touched her mark again. His dark eyes shone with intensity. “I will never hurt you again.”

“I know,” she whispered, nuzzling his hand. “You are my alpha.”

“We need to get back to the dojo,” he muttered shyly as he dropped his gaze. “Before Master Gouken comes to find us.”

“Oh!” She flushed and untangled herself from the blanket. Somehow she managed to keep it wrapped around her as she scrambled about for her clothes. He grinned at her flustered wiggling. “I’ll get dressed.”

Ryu was grabbing his pants when he saw the napkin covered tray on a nearby flat rock. “Hey, Hana.... Just a minute.” Walking over to the tray, he lifted the napkin and saw a few rice balls, a pair of apples, and a pot of tea and a cup. “Looks like someone has gotten up ahead of us.”

She crept through the grass to look at it with him. Her face went red as he handed her an apple. “I guess so.”

They ate the breakfast quickly, sipping the brisk warm tea. Then he led her to the lake to clean up. He was washing the dust out of his hair when he felt the first splash. Looking up at her, he smirked at her and splashed her back. She gasped, shivering as it dripped off her hair and face.

To his delight, she laughed at him. “Oh now you’re going to get it!”

Ryu blinked in surprise as she whipped her arms to send a wave of water towards him. She laughed out loud to see him dripping. He smirked at her wickedly.

“Ryu? Alpha...?” Her voice trembled in a playful fear as he took a half-step back and flexed his muscles. “Oh God!”

He spun in the murky water and sent a wall of water crashing over her. Soaked entirely, she grinned up at him playfully. They kept splashing each other, grinning as they played. Ryu gave her a satisfied smirk as she rolled in the water and swam slightly away, her shallow kicks getting him even more wet.

She tired far more easily than him, though, rolling in the water to float on her back with the tight tips of her nipples and the slight swell of her belly and then her toes above the rippling water. He walked over to her, smirking to see wavering outline of her body through the water.

“We’d better be getting back,” he murmured softly.

“Do we have to?” She smiled lazily up at him and then rolled to tread water. Her head bobbed in the sunlight and her hair spread thickly like beaten copper in the water. “And here I thought we were having such fun.”

“We do need to. But it’s been a good morning.” He smiled down at her, dropping a finger in her floating halo of hair just to see it ripple. “And you’re sure that you’re doing the right thing?” He gave her a lame grin and shrug. “I mean—there’s a lot better alphas than me.”

“You’re my alpha.” She kicked a bit, sending a few drops of water into the air. “And you’ve claimed me.” Slowly her slick hands went to her belly. “We will have pups soon.”

“Pups?!” He glanced down at her belly with a half smile. “That’s going to be....”

“A real handful.” She smiled up at him. “But I like it here. It will be peaceful for them.” He was about to say something else but she interrupted with a flush. “You’ve already told me that we’re going to be here. That you travel a lot. But I can’t go with you—not until the pups are born.”

“Maybe not even then. There’s a lot of alphas who don’t play by the rules.” He looked at her seriously. “You—and the pups—wouldn’t be safe.”

“I know I’m going to be here.” She nodded at him. “You told me.”

He sighed, shaking his head and sending water everywhere. “I just don’t know why you’re settling on me when you could be the omega of someone else who could better provide for you and the pups.”

“Because you’re mine.”

He flushed with a shy smile. “And....”

“And I’m yours.”

She nuzzled him gently and slowly they went back to their clothes. In a meandering way, they walked through the grove, grinning at each other. Without stopping, they went to the cottage. He helped her get dry with his one towel before drying off himself. They dressed in clean clothes and stopped for a sexy kiss before going their separate ways.

Master Gouken and Ken came back to the dojo with thick bamboo poles across their shoulders and buckets hanging from each end. Ken grumbled in his laughing way, “Hey, Master Gouken, why exactly are we doing this and letting Ryu sleep in again?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older, Ken,” Gouken teased with a laugh. “Besides, I thought that you had an omega of your own.”

“Yeah, back in America.”

“Then you understand that occasionally an alpha and omega need a little time to themselves.”

“And that’s why we were up at dawn?” Ken sighed. “And to get cleaning water by going all the way downhill to the river and then back up again?”

“It does not hurt you to get cleaning water.”

“Yeah, well, when do I get to sleep in and he gets to get the water?”

“When you bring your omega here.”

“Eliza is—.”

“I know she’s reluctant to come to Japan. Maybe you will find that she’s more eager to come and visit if there’s another omega around.”

Ken was going to make some sarcastic remark when they got up to the dojo, but stopped short. The porch was neatly swept and Master Gouken’s collection of bonsai sat neatly on the edge of the porch to get some sun. The various towels, quilts and linens were hung on the lines, giving an feeling of cleanliness. Old pots of new earth were beside the path up to the porch.

“It’s starting to look homey, Master,” Ken smirked.

The old master nodded. “Then we had better help. Come along, Ken. I don’t doubt we’re going to need more water.”

Ryu was in the training yard, sweating as he kept doing his pushups on his knuckles. The flat area had been swept and the omega was darting around again, doing chores and moving the clean linens back to their places. Without a ripple in the pair’s steady rhythm, Gouken and Ken went to train. The omega rang a small bell when lunch was ready and there were neat and precisely shaped rice balls and pickled vegetables along with a fresh egg omelet with snipped herbs. Gouken was amused to see the neat piles of vegetables and ingredients in the kitchen, ready to make more pickled vegetables to store them for winter. Then there was the tidy bundles of herbs tied with strings that were ready to be hung and dried. But mostly he was amused to see the bright red mark on her neck.

The old master continued to be amused as the alpha and omega went back out after lunch. She dug around the garden, pulling weeds and harvesting the herbs and vegetables that were ready. She brought him water and a fresh towel as they took a brief rest and then called them to dinner when it was ready. The young alpha continued to smile shyly at her, thanking her in a soft murmur.

Ken laughed at them. “You guys are like an old married couple.”

Ryu raised an eyebrow, taking the cup of hot tea from Hana. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, only last month you were all about traveling by yourself and training and everything. Now you’re settled in with an omega and getting ready for pups.”

Gouken very calmly set down his cup of tea and slapped the back of Ken’s head before addressing Ryu. “It is perfectly fine to settle down with pups, chonan-chan.” Ken smirked and rubbed his head. “There is no shame in being a father, especially when one has such a good omega.”

Hana flushed in pleasure and poured more tea for the old alpha. Ryu scowled at his friend and took more tea. Ken grimaced in his humorous way. “I am not a....”

Gouken snorted. “I think that’s enough, Ken.”

Ryu sighed and looked over his shoulder. “Hana, why not go to the cottage?” She made a small sound in reply. “I will clean up.”

Hana took one look at his scowl and ducked out. Very slowly, he picked up the plates and stacked them. Gouken looked back and forth between his students and nodded. “Ken and Ryu—you are both alphas with omegas. It is time for you both to decide what kind of alphas you are going to be, what kind of mates you are going to be.

“Shotokan is not simply about fighting, about punching and kicking. If it were, then anyone could master it. Shotokan is about being honorable, good men and respectable alphas. It is far harder to master that than even to learn about the Hado. But there is no higher calling.”

“Yes, Master,” the young alphas said.

“Ken.”

“Yes, Master.”

“You have an omega far from here. She loves the freedom you afford her and the way you both are works for you.”

“Uhh...yes, Master.”

“Do not tease or berate Ryu or his mate if their ways are not yours.” He grinned slightly. “I taught you better than that.”

“Yes, Master.” He bowed silently.

“Go and rest.” The American bowed again and left quietly. “Ryu.”

“Yes, Master.” 

“This has been a season of change for you.”

“Yes, Master.”

“There is not an easy way to face change, to face being suddenly different than you were. No easy way to have your path change in an unexpected direction.” Gouken stroked his beard thoughtfully. “You have pups and a mate, now—a family of your own.”

“Master—what am I to do?”

“Do?”

“I have nothing for the pups. I have nothing for a mate. I have only ever had you and Ken.” He sighed sadly. “I only ever wanted to be the best fighter.”

Gouken chuckled. “And when will that be? When you have killed everyone you face?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Then how will you know you have achieved your goal?”

Ryu puffed out an uncertain breath. “I...I don’t know.”

“Ryu, I have never argued with your chosen goal. You desire to be the best you can be. A noble goal.” Gouken plucked at his beard. “But is it what you really need to be?”

“I guess I need to be a father.” He looked around with a solemn expression. “I never thought that I’d be...just here.”

“And what is wrong with here?” Master Gouken joked.

“No...nothing, Master.” Ryu bowed with a flush. “Nothing is wrong with here, master.”

“Do not try to lie to me, pup.” Gouken chuckled as the other man flushed. “I know that this is a bit...isolated and seems austere. It was meant to turn a pair of pups into alphas of strength and was not necessarily designed for the care of an omega and pups in mind. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t change.”

“Is there...? What can I do, Master? She looks to me for answers and I don’t have any.”

“Ahh, pup, when will you realize that no one has all of the answers that they need when they need them?” The old Master chuckled. “First, your mate and pups are safe here. Do you know that?”

“Yes, Master. Of course.”

“Do you know that they are welcome here as long as I live?”

“Yes, Master. Th-th-thank you.”

“Good. So now you have two answers.” He paused, looking at him solemnly. Gesturing, he had the alpha follow him as he walked down the path towards the bamboo grove. “Ryu...you are like a son to me. You are the son my mate and I wished we could have had and I have always been proud of you.

“I want you to know, the dojo is yours after I pass on. You have been named my heir and my successor, and all that I have is yours when I am gone. The bengoshi downhill has all the paperwork. Your future is as secure as I can make it. Your family will now always have a home, a place.”

Ryu said nothing, swallowing heavily in amazement. He had never thought about what would happen after Master Gouken passed, never thought about that far in the future. Now he had a mate and pups to think about. But they had a home thanks to Master Gouken.

“Thank you, Master.” He had never meant that more. “I am...relieved.”

Master Gouken only smiled. His adopted son would never admit it, but he was looking more confident and more relaxed now. His mind was still troubled, but it was more at ease as they talked.

“So, what do I do now, Master?” Ryu kicked a pebble. “Do I...do what? Teach? Offer tours? Write a book?” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “She’d be better off with someone else with some money and some kind of idea of what to do to support them.”

“And she agrees with that?”

Ryu shook his head. “No—that’s what I don't understand. She says that she is happy with me as I am. I’ve told her that...that I travel and I may not be here.” He puffed out a breath. “I told her all this before I...”

“Before you marked her.”

“Yes. I told her all that already.”

“Then, you now have more answers.” Gouken hummed. “So now I have one last piece of advice pup.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Take things one day at a time, pup. You don’t need to borrow trouble.” He chuckled. “Today is done. Tomorrow you and your family have food, water and shelter.” The master shrugged a little. “If you still need to go out to fight, then that is something that you need to do and between you and your mate.”

“What will she do, Master? If I leave?”

“She will be under my care. She will have me and this place. Somewhere for her to call home.” Gouken patted Ryu’s shoulders as he sighed. “She is stronger than you think. I do not think she will readily abandon her nest or her pups. Or you, Ryu.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Check in from time to time. Come back in the winters to be close to her. Take things one day at a time, pup. Do not stray from your training. Remember always—strength, honor, respect, fidelity and discipline.”

Ryu paused. “Yes, Master Gouken.”

“Good.”

Ken left the next morning, giving them a cheerful wave and smile as the old master walked with him down to the village. After breakfast, Ryu trained silently in the morning trying to unsuccessfully sort out his thoughts. Hana’s lunch at the low table was again simple but filling and he was startled that their absence felt both natural and abnormally silent at the same time.

“Couldn’t you eat at the table? For dinner?” he asked her, finally. “My neck is killing me trying to look back at you.”

“But...it would be disrespectful...wouldn’t it?”

“I...I would say not.” Ryu smirked, but turned solemn after a moment. “Not when I am...master here.”

He helped her in the afternoon, carrying and lifting and moving things so that she could scrub underneath them. She planted small flowers in some of the pots and sorted through the store room beneath the kitchen and piles of potatoes and bags of rice and flour. He was glad he did, because there was a whole corner of heavy boxes that held suits of heavy padding, practice weapons, and weights.

He grinned at her as they sorted out two bags of potatoes and onions from in front of an old stand for holding swords. “Sorry about this, Hana. I guess Master Gouken has been up here alone for so long that things are just kind of muddled.”

She nodded, rubbing her dust covered brow. “It’s all right. We found a whole box of seed packets and we got out those rotten onions. The whole place will smell better after that.” She looked around. “But will he be upset that we’re rearranging everything?”

Ryu looked around. “As dusty as this place is, I don’t think he’s been down here for a while.” He grinned again. “And if he gets mad, he’ll just be mad at me.”

She nodded slowly and kept chasing the dust bunnies. The old cellar storage area looked a lot bigger and seemed better organized. She looked at the big alpha as he stared at the various weights and weapons. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve seemed...distracted all day.”

He sighed. “Master Gouken and I have been talking about the future.”

“And?” She looked at him curiously. “Is there bad news?”

He shrugged. “Kind of. Not really. Maybe.” He sighed. “He’s...leaving the dojo to me.” She looked up at him curiously. “You and the pups will always have a home.”

“And you?”

“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I never thought that I’d ever be anything other than a student here.” Scratching his head, he looked at the piles of stuff. “I just kind of assumed that I’d always be traveling to the next fight when I wasn’t here.”

“So it’s a good thing that we’re going to be here, right?”

He smiled at her. “Yes. That’s a good thing.”

She wrapped an arm around his waist. “And you still want to travel?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “But then you’ll be alone.”

Hana shuddered, looking around. “Maybe just right now—while he’s still here to help—you can still do what you love. He’ll be the pups grandfather. And in a year or so, when they are starting to walk, you can come back.” She flushed and burbled. “Not.... I mean—I want you back whenever I can have you.”

“I just don’t know if I’m ready to be only a teacher.” He held her loosely. “I don’t have his wisdom. I barely know what I’m supposed to be—let alone trying to teach anyone else.” He puffed out a breath. “I do know that you don’t need to be trailing around with me to street fights. They are crawling with alphas who don’t have omegas and there’s no telling how dirty they are. And there’s lots of people who get hurt during the fights because they are too close to the ring.”

She cocked her head as he led her upstairs to the kitchen. “Could you start with your friends? Tell them that you’re going to start a school and would like them to come by?”

He laughed. “What? Start a street fight arena here?”

“I was actually thinking having you teach them and their families or something.” She laughed a little shyly. “Well...if you’re worried about it, I’ll be here and keeping it clean.”

He shook his head, chuckling. “And you know so much about running either a dojo or a street fight arena.”

She looked up at him with a playful pout. “Okay, so laugh big bad alpha. I was just thinking out loud.”

He chuckled again, going to the sink and washing up. “Well...it’s definitely a new idea.” She nudged him aside to get cleaned up. “But I suppose that I can...consider it. Maybe if we put out some of the dummies and hang up some of the practice swords, we could make this place look like a real school.”

Master Gouken wandered back up the path just before dinner, whistling to himself as he came back. The dojo looked more prosperous than when he left—the pots beside the path holding wildflowers, the bonsai glistening as though they had just been watered, the entire place looking clean. He jangled the ancient chain of bells by the gate as a matter of courtesy.

“Ryu! Hana!” he called out as he came into the building. The place smelled of soap and most of the windows were open to let in the early summer breezes. “Where are you two?”

Without waiting, he went through to the back and saw Ryu practicing his katas in only a pair of ripped pants. The omega sat nearby with some sewing on her lap, occasionally watching him with a smirk on her face. He shot up in a Shuriuken, landing lightly on the balls of his feet. Hana clapped softly with an approving sound, which made Ryu smirk as he moved into the next position of his kata even if he didn’t otherwise outwardly recognize her approval. As soon as he got to the porch, they both scrambled up and bowed in respect.

“Good evening, pups,” he chuckled, bowing in return. “And may I say I’m impressed with what you’ve done with the place.” Ryu gave her a gesture and the omega folded the mending and went inside. Quite soon, there were clanks of pots and the smells of simmering dinner. “You look like you’ve been busy.”

He nodded. “Yes, Master.”

“It looks good around here.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Ah, Ryu...you will be master here soon.”

“But not yet, Master.” He smiled to hear Hana clanking around. “We will have dinner here soon, though.”

“And have you decided what to do?”

Ryu grinned lamely. “She has said that she is okay with...with me traveling. At first.”

“And are you satisfied with her staying behind?” Gouken crossed his arms. “I do not approve of her going to street fights—.”

“No...she’s staying behind.” Ryu shrugged. “It was one of her better ideas to stay behind while you’re here. She said that once they walked, she’d want me back.”

Gouken smirked, raising an eyebrow. “One of her better ideas?”

“The other was to start a street fight arena here.”

Master Gouken’s tone shifted into a solemn and firm one, his arms over his chest. “No.”

“That’s what I said....” He looked up with a grin. “Master.”

Gouken nodded with a satisfied grin. “I think that we’re about to be called in for dinner. But has this answered your question?”

Ryu nodded, suddenly more relaxed. “It’s a temporary plan—.”

“But better than no plan.” Gouken nodded. “And I am glad to help in any way I can.”

“Just keep me posted,” Ryu sighed. “Ken set me up with a way to send her money, but the only way I can think of to get any news is through this service that Edmond Honda told me about that forwards mail around.”

Gouken nodded. “I knew his teacher. Edmond is a good man who won’t steer you wrong.” He clapped Ryu’s shoulder. “And I’ll be sure to keep you posted.”


	10. Chapter 10

June 10

Ryu, 

I hope that this message reaches you and sets your mind at ease. Hana has settled in well. She remains in the little cottage and does seem to be thriving here.

She says she still hates gardening, but she does love being outdoors. Since it is just the two of us, our garden keeps us well stocked with vegetables and food. She tends the garden each day and then spends some time out there in whatever meditations she does. I have offered to teach her the meditations I taught you and Ken, but for now she is still a bit shy and gets flustered if I try too hard to approach her.

She misses you, of course. For a few days after you left, we had a patch of storms and whenever the wind blew the bells at the gate, she would rush to see if you had returned. She kept a towel close and would watch the windows. It was hard for her to settle the first few days, but now she is much better.

It is adorable that she still calls me “alpha” rather than addressing me as you and Ken do, and that shows good training. Without you there, she also was puzzled on eating politely. For a few days, I could not get around it and resorted to simply leaving her share on the table. Sometimes it is confusing to figure out what is right and so we’re both learning what works—whether it is leaving a share on the table or feeding her myself.

The papers mentioned that you had won a small tournament in Osaka. She cut out the article and has put it in a box in the cottage. The reason that I know is because she did it before I could read about the sumo matches on the other side. She is cheering for you, I believe, and we’re reaching a truce that I’ll give her the paper after I’m done reading it.

Aside from that, life has settled back into its rhythm here at the dojo. It is not very different having an omega here. I still train as I normally do even if I have my meals fixed for me and the garden tended and the few rooms I use scrubbed and a host of other small chores. Occasionally I hope that I will find a new student to teach, but I already know that I will not find one as talented as you. I am hoping to see the pups—with her spirit and yours fused, they will be very interesting and no doubt talented.

*****************

June 30

Ryu,

Today your omega went back downhill to the market. I say “back” because it is not our first outing down there.

As you probably know, she bought a few things several days ago—some thread and needles, a pillow, some fabric, an American Boy Scout manual and a pot. It was a unique experience in that she picked out her items and they took her card but then she had to leave without them until you approved them. It must have been disappointing to go down the path only to be told to return later and this old alpha must to take this lesson to heart. Then today she was allowed to go pick them up as she walked around with me, so I assume that you did whatever approvals you had to do.

The trip down is easy, of course, and the trip up is the difficult one. She is stubborn, though, and drives herself to go further. I did force her to stop when I thought that she was getting overtired. Whether or not she caught on that my “bad knee” was an excuse to get her to stop for a rest, I don’t know her well enough to say, yet.

There is a bit of confusion of course. A few people remember seeing you come through with her and assumed she was yours. Ken coming through always is memorable with his pale hair and a few have assumed that she was his. And some assume that she is mine as they have seen her walking the shops with me. 

Her reception at any given time depends on who they think she belongs to. If someone thinks she belongs to me, they give her respect and generally try to pretend that she is a pretty vase that follows me around. If someone thinks that she belongs to Ken (a ridiculous idea, I know), then they tend to follow her around asking for his autograph. If they think she belongs to you, in general they back away and give her a wide berth without even looking at her. It seems that there was an incident of an alpha taking exception to how his fair-haired omega was treated. Still, despite even my presence, there are those who regard an omega as fair game for any amount of harassment. 

She is inspiring me to consider developing some form of martial arts for omegas. While omegas cannot fight back against an alpha, it seems to me that allowing them a path for strength and health can only be to the good. The challenge is to make modifications for the lesser body mass and muscle mass of omegas. It is relatively easy to figure out how to have an alpha learn to be strong and to fight—they have the heavy muscles and frames to take the damage. But adjusting those same precepts and practices towards a lesser frame? That is a welcome challenge that I do not think any master before me has ever attempted.

An omega does not have the advantages of an alpha, but it seems that they could still use the tenants. They walk on the same ground that the alphas do. They can fall, stumble. And they bear the burden of carrying children within themselves. Why not teach them to fall gently and avoid hurting themselves? Why not teach an omega to have enough endurance to do what they need? Why not have an omega strong enough that they can bear the weight of their children? I am forced, of course, to wonder if omegas who die during childbirth would live if they were allowed to be stronger.

If so, then what does this mean for me as an alpha? Am I truly strong or is it merely a function that I am stronger than an omega? Is this old alpha following the teachings of Shotokan—or am I simply following the same rut of my ancestors? In which case am I strong at all or simply the shadow of strong?

She has become somewhat indulgent of me. It is an omega’s nature to try to hover around her alpha to make the nest comfortable and ensure the peace of the surroundings. She still misses you, but has settled with the idea that you are not going to be around and has turned her attentions to me. So my clothing is mended, my dinner is fixed and the dojo is clean as she satisfies her need to nest. She also is busy sewing a rather haphazard looking quilt to cover the futon in her little cottage. This is quite a bit larger an undertaking than I had imagined and I am glad to know how much work it is because it makes all of the quilts I have ever seen more valuable.

Still, it is late. She has already long since washed the dishes and gone back to her cottage where the nest is safe and secure. I am glad that she feels safe with me here and I am looking forward to the pups coming.


	11. Chapter 11

July 9

Ryu,

Well, we have apparently started the hard part of pregnancy. Hana is ill in the mornings now. It terrified her at first, but the doctor owed me a favor and confirmed her pregnancy and health. She was a bit worried and shied from him. Unfortunately, I could not be in with her since I was not officially her alpha, but I have been reassured that she is doing well.

She is finally at peace at the dojo and with her little cottage. She works hard in the garden and with her sewing and cleaning. I do not restrict her wandering around and she has taken to running the path around the bamboo in the evenings. She runs to the lake and back, sometimes quite a few times. It is amusing that she doesn’t jog or walk—but she runs as fast as she can. The first time she did, she came back welted and lightly scratched up from the leaves hitting her, but she was smiling so hard that I couldn’t find it in my heart to stop her. If it puts your mind at ease, you know that path well and know it is wide and flat and not hard.

To build her strength for the climb, I have used the marking stone technique. You remember, I’m sure, the rock that Ken painted red so long ago. I walked her down the path a bit and we set the stone down and went back up. The next day, she could go a bit further, moving the stone each time. I do worry about her running through the grove. The bamboo grove is flat and goes only to the lake—nowhere near other people who would take advantage of her—but the walk down and back I walk with her each day to keep her safe.

I have taken up fishing in the lake. I have told Hana that I always wanted to do it, but I am there to also keep an eye to make sure that the lake area is safe for her. No strange tracks or scents. The fish I catch—and I am not good at fishing, to be sure—provide a fresh and healthy dinner. And while I wait, I can do katas and practice near the serenity of the water. However I must concede that Musashi is right and a man can only excel in one of the four areas and I am a warrior first and foremost, not a fisherman. I can only imagine that the fish see me and wonder what the bald old catfish is doing dancing on the shores while they decide whether or not the bait is worth the bite.

We received your postcard from India and Hana has put it in her cottage. She takes the papers to look for articles of fighting and of you, but mostly she listens to me talk about you growing up. She listens to my stories and sometimes has little to say, but she does smile and nod and she laughs at my jokes.

And she treats me like an old man already. I get brought hot tea in the evenings and in the morning and she tries to make me comfortable. She runs and brings me what I ask. If I go fishing, she brings me rice balls and vegetables and boiled eggs for lunch. I suppose that she sees me as a sort of father figure to you and thus a grandfather to the pups and is trying to perform her duties to your family as best she can. She is trying her best which is all that can be asked for.

We happened to see a newscast of Ken winning the Western United States Mixed Martial Arts Tournament. If you see him, give him my congratulations. Your omega was very interested in watching the televised recaps as we stood outside the electronics store. Most everyone was there, cheering him on and it took me some effort to make sure she could see without being jostled by all of the people.

The shoe salesman recognized her shoes and tried to push her away. Said that it wasn’t proper for an omega to see this sort of thing. Everyone laughed but she stood closer to me and kept watching and ignoring their comments. It was because I was there that she got to see as much as she did and I do not know the kind of inner strength it took to pretend the lewd stares and catcalls were not happening. As she walked back to the dojo, she kept repeating that you could defeat him with your eyes closed and other such charming things.

When we returned to the dojo, she asked how each move was done. Of course, it takes years to master Shotokan and she is impatient to learn—or at least to see them. It reminded me of a certain young boy I took in. She did not want to hear that she needed to complete her chores any more than you did. Like you, she is a hard worker and endlessly curious. It has been many years since I have been called on to do all of those moves and I admit I was more that a little sore when I was done.

As you probably know, she has bought some fabric and some thread. She is intent on making something for you. She has sworn me to secrecy in her charming omega way. Her embroidery is quite extraordinary. It is delicate and detailed and as precise as any I’ve ever seen and I enjoy seeing it grow under her fingertips. I find it unexpectedly pleasant to have her quiet company in the evenings as she sews and I write in my journal or meditate.

Unfortunately, I have to go and mail this before evening.


	12. Chapter 12

August 7

Ryu,

Hana’s pregnancy has started to show a bit. She is wobbling between being pleased and feeling scared of what is happening to her body. She has grown more flexible and stronger as she has been here. She has finally begun gaining weight as well.

It was kind of you to send the ripped pants to her to mend and the postcard from Turkey. Though you may not realize it, she misses you terribly and even such a task as mending your clothing makes her feel closer to you. She could have finished the repairs an hour, but she took an extra day to measure every seam. I believe she means to sew you new clothes, and did not refuse her when she asked for paper and pen.

I have begun teaching her how to break her falls. Her splits are gradually deeper and her muscles grow stronger. As for what is appropriate for omegas, she does not seem to be harmed learning to fall correctly, how to steady her weight and to maintain her balance. Her endurance improves by leaps and bounds and she still runs the path daily. It has made her more confident, too.

She has begun talking to me in return. At first she was only saying ‘yes, alpha’ or something like that. Last month she was inspired to ask about Ken’s match, but she grew quiet again when I told her that she would need months to learn those moves, if an omega could learn them at all. She has done well so far with the beginner drills, but I told her that as her alpha, it is up to you whether or not she is allowed to train at all. After that she grew quiet again.

Only now has she begun talking to me in her cheerful, chatty way. It is a relief, to be honest, because for a while she was so quiet that it was hard to believe she still was at the dojo. I could believe that in a previous life, she was a ninja. She doesn’t seem to feel she has much to say—the garden, the family of rabbits she keeps an eye on, a brief word or two on my fishing, and then to ask if I have heard from you.

She still maintains that you are the best fighter in the world. When the papers have articles about Honda or Ken or another fighter, she will scan them for mentions of your name and cut the article out. She has a little box that she keeps them in, along with your two postcards.

It concerns me a little that she is isolated here. I am an old alpha and well suited to living a solitary life here in the dojo. I have lived here for many years and it is no hardship for me. Your omega is young and isolated here, doing chores and small tasks for a crusty old alpha like me. She does not say much about it, but she seems to long for company. Even the trips down to town are exciting for her—despite the trouble she puts up with.

I would like for you to consider returning to the dojo for the winter. The street fights will be less common during the winter months and many of the tournaments will be over. You can return here to see your omega and spend some time celebrating the changes in her. I feel confident that you will be glad of the time you spend with her before the children are born.


	13. Chapter 13

September 11

Ryu,

Nothing much has changed from the last time that I wrote to you. She helps me develop my new art for omegas to learn. She tends the last duties of the garden to harvest what is left and prepare it for the spring. She cooks, fixes pickles and cans them, and runs. She sews and does embroidery. If she were a beta, she could have long since started a fine business selling her work. But as an omega, she cannot do anything without her alpha’s approval, which seems to be the refrain of her life.

Which has honestly begun to irk me. I cannot imagine having to depend on another’s approval for every move. She has earned my respect with her patience and pride and determination. She has taught me a great deal, pup, about the strength of the omega.

Instead, she has presented me with a ghi. She embroidered my father’s crest on the back and while I do wear it occasionally to please her, I intend to save it for you to have when I am gone. It is the same crest you wear on the headband she sent you, for though we are not blood, you are the son of my heart.

She has lost her voice again as she grows more thoughtful. She is mostly quiet, tending the garden and going back to saying ‘yes, alpha’ and ‘no, alpha’. She still tends me and brings me tea, brings me my paper or journal and pen, the newspaper in the evenings, brings me whatever I ask for. She has followed me to the market twice since I last wrote as I have bought her larger clothes, but she pays no attention to anyone else and sometimes scarcely seems to be there at all.

Today, as she followed me, a friend of mine came up and called her my omega. She normally bites back her protest, but this time, she merely nodded. Most everyone now assumes that she is mine and that you were bringing her to me from some exchange somewhere. While this does make it easier for the doctor to agree to see her, it makes it more difficult for her to maintain her firm belief that she will see you again.

But she does have her children. When she does not speak to me or to any who are around me, she does sing to them still. Her voice is fainter now, but it is still sure as she sings to them. Her doctor has told me that she needs to be speaking more for the sake of her children, to bring her to the market and to visit friends so that her children will hear her. So far, she comes to the market when I can go with her and stays at the dojo the rest of the time. I take her to visit friends of mine, spending time talking with various people so that she has voices around her. Just yesterday, we paid a visit to a friend of mine who was watching his adopted grandchildren and she smiled and was seemed to be able to play with them easily.

Her nest is comfortable. She has taken that old cottage and made it a home. She has cleaned up the futon and has made new pillowcases for the pillows. She has settled her things into one cabinet and your things—a spare pair of gloves, a new pair of pants she made you, and a belt—into another. I did move a heater in there—a propane heater with a huge tank and a ceramic heater brick thing that will hold the heat a lot better than wood. Unfortunately, that cottage does not have electricity, so there was no use trying to put in a full electric heater, but I think these will keep her warm enough and her nest is very cozy. When you get back, you can move her into the main building where we have electric heat.

For a while, I thought she might have been adopted by a cat, because the striped beast kept laying in front of the cottage to bathe and trying to slink into the dojo and follow her around. She put down a tiny plate with fish scraps and some milk. It caught her a mouse and a few feathers—minus the bird—that it helpfully threw up on the porch. But then it moved on to wherever it came from and left her.

The garden is fading. The vegetables and herbs are being dried, pickles made, and she has prepared well for winter. For all that she hated gardening, she seems happy enough in the kitchen. She put up many glass jars of pickles and the like, so we are well provided for when winter comes. She has pestered me for ideas on what you might like her to fix when you return and has begun stockpiling ingredients in a corner of the kitchen cellar.

I grow increasingly glad that you brought her here. I am honored to have been able to provide a place for your omega, Ryu. She is a warm light in the winter of this old alpha’s life. She does you credit and looks forward to your return.


	14. Chapter 14

September 29

Ryu,

Hana misses you greatly. She is lonely and her spirit is frustrated—far more than I thought. My bones ached from the coming rain, so I was meditating very late last night and heard her. She is not as quiet as she might have hoped and did not expect me to be following her.

And I did not expect this.

She runs alone through the bamboo and most likely has run for many nights based on how firm and certain her steps were. She runs through the path to the lake as fast as she can. At the lake, she has a small place she goes to—a small, flat area of sand on the beach. There she screams and cries. She screams out her anger and frustration and confusion and whatever else she is feeling. Then she apologizes and cries that she has disgraced you.

It is good that she has that release. I had worried that she was burying her feelings to spare me or to show some sort of respect for you. I worried that it would poison her and her pups if she couldn’t get them out. I had worried that her spirit might be bruised. This proves to me that her spirit is only dormant like the trees in autumn. I slipped away as she screamed. She doesn’t know I followed her. So I’ve elected to let her keep her secret and simply am trying to find ways to help her.

This morning, I “accidentally” left out one of the bamboo swords I trained with. As she bustled in to clean, I told her to pick it up and put it away. Then as gently as I could, I told her she would need to hold the sword right. I settled her hands correctly—as a sign of respect for the weapon, of course—and put her in front of a dummy. Without her alpha, I cannot officially train her, but I did want to see what happened.

At lunch, I walked back out to find her kneeling and sweating in front of the dummy. It was not what I expected. I thought she would be...something. Perhaps she would simply put it away. Perhaps she would avoid it at all. Instead, I found her glaring at the target and up again to hit it a few more times before dropping back again.

As soon as she noticed me, she gave it up and murmured apologies for disturbing me while offering me the practice weapon, but I believe that it was good for her. She is a good omega with spirit. So, we put the weapon away and went back to doing chores. I did notice her eyes linger on it and I suppose that I can forget it again.

So, the ground has been frosted and there is the first hint of snow. It will be a mild winter, I believe, but I am going to be careful she is safe and warm in her nest. She has fixed the shutters on the window and we found an extra pillow to add to the futon so that she has a nest for the pups.


	15. Chapter 15

October 4

Ryu,

I have left the sword out for her twice more. It has done her good to release all of her anger and frustrations on the dummy—anger at the villagers who harass her, frustration that her morning sickness still makes her occasionally ill, occasional bitterness at small things. She still runs at night, and her time is getting better, but she will have to be stopped as soon as the snows start because I do not want her to fall. Her sword work is good for a complete novice. There is an American saying about how good inspired amateurs can be.... But unfortunately, I may not be able to let her continue as she is growing more unbalanced as the pups grow larger.

She has done well with settling into life here. The villagers have finally mostly decided to leave her alone when we walk down there. She cooks and sews and does what exercises I let her. She is enthusiastic about my new style. There is no reason to believe she is going to leave the nest or her pups—so you can rest easy, chonan. She is cozy and warm and growing even larger. She sometimes complains that she is a whale, but truthfully she is simply beautifully curved. You would be proud to see her and how much she glows.

Now that the weather is cooler, we do not travel downhill as much. I took her down to the doctor for her examination and was given a full workup, along with a recording of their heartbeats and a strip of tiny photos of little baby shapes. You are to be the father of two pups—a little boy and a fidgety one they couldn’t get to stay still long enough to determine a gender. Hana is pleased with them and has been eager to talk—for once. She asks me dozens of questions. Unfortunately, I often don’t know what to tell her. I know martial arts, not babies. 

Yes—laugh at me, pup. I don’t have all the answers.

We stayed the night at the ryokan—in two rooms, pup so you have no reason to be worried. Then we went shopping for some fabric and the few baby things we could find. Thankfully, I still have my mate’s kimonos as well—including those from her omega mother—so Hana is well dressed and warm. She remains polite and respectful and is a credit to you.

She has begun to look towards the gates. She keeps hoping to see you come back now that it is starting to grow cold. Do not doubt her, pup—she is looking forward to your return. She has set aside ingredients for mizo yokan with golden chestnuts and moon cakes for when you return. The bells do not ring that she is not eager to see who it is—even if it is the wind. You should have seen her run through last night just before dinner only to find that a fox was playing with them.

She sews and cooks and cleans. The garden is mostly dormant now, so she has more time to do other things. I have offered to teach her what little I know of calligraphy or to give her a journal of her own, now that she has time. And I still am an honored and coddled grandfather. I still work with her on balance and strength, and have an outline of my new style completed. When she no longer is carrying the pups, I rather expect that she will grow annoyed with me trying it out with her.

Come home soon, chonan. I do not say this lightly to you, but my meditations have grown dark lately. There is something coming that makes me uneasy. She is safe for now, but things feel continually darker and I would feel better with you here.


	16. Chapter 16

Master Gouken awoke from his meditations with a thick layer of sweat covering his skin. The stench of destruction mixed with the sickeningly sweet smell of wisteria and hung in the air like a funeral pall. His vision of purple death and glowing power boiling closer and closer seemed to float in front of his eyes.

He shook his head to clear it and the porch and garden beyond it filled his sight. Everything was slightly damp from the rain last night. Hana was digging up the last potatoes next to a thick flower pot. At some point, she had planted white daisies in a few pots, but now a lot of them were empty from the chilly cold. Most of the garden was devoted to practical vegetables—potatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli rabe, cabbages, radishes. In the pots that she had dug out of the cottage and the small shed and cellar she had planted shiso, rosemary, sage, fennel, mint, lemon balm, and green onions. Of course, this late in the season, the pots and garden were largely empty, except for the rosemary and the skeletons of late blooming mums.

He lurched to his feet and went to her. The omega looked up as he walked between the rows, the herb leaves slapping his worn grey pants. She put the small spade aside and began gathering her potatoes. Gouken stared for a moment at the potted white mums that spilled out of the pot next to row and bobbing against his legs.

She looked up at him curiously. “These are the last ones for the season.” She looked around and gave a sad little sound. “Everything seems to have...faded without him here.”

“Hana...he will—.” Gouken straightened, glancing around. Suddenly the sky seemed filled with purple grey clouds that churned and boiled overhead and the wind seemed to shift back and forth. “Hana, go. Get the sword and go inside. Go to the cellar in the kitchen.” The omega glanced nervously around and grabbed the potatoes. “No time! Go.”

He pulled her up and ran with her back to the kitchen. Pulling up the panel in the floor, he helped her down to the cellar. She looked up at him, her face a pale moon in the darkness. Gouken grabbed a flashlight and tossed it to her before closing the panel over her. He drug the corner of the table over the panel and then a cabinet for good measure.

If things went well, she was merely uncomfortable for a few hours. If things went bad, perhaps she’d remain hidden and safe. If things went really bad, nothing would protect her no matter what he did.

He grabbed a beautiful steel sword and went through the building to the circular front gate. Slamming the thick wooden doors shut, he picked up the massive beam and slammed it through the iron brackets on the doors. There should be little to nothing that could break through them.

But the thick clouds still roiled violently overhead. The wind shifted every few seconds, tossing his beard wildly. There was now a static in the air as though electricity itself was walking closer. A flock of crows suddenly flapped up from beyond the outer wall, cawing and screeching. Then he saw a pebble tremble, lay still and then tremble again.

He braced himself. A dip in the trodden path showed a puddle with a still surface. Then, the water rippled in even rings before going still. Another few black birds shot into the sky, cawing and flying like they were being hunted.

Something was coming. Something dark and....

Hungry.


	17. Chapter 17

Ryu read the letters from Master Gouken again. The first ones were almost falling apart in the candy box he had retrieved from somewhere that he kept them all in. Had it really been five months? He looked at the neat handwriting again.

The latest read:

Ryu, Hurry home. My visions are continually darker and I fear for Hana and the pups. I will explain when you arrive. Gouken

The letters tended to catch up with him in fits and spurts. The mail forwarding service that Honda had told him about had faithfully gotten them to him, even if they were occasionally weeks behind him. It was a bit expensive, but worth it to get these letters at last.

He had sent them a postcard from India—a sunset over a Diwali festival crowd with candles and smiling faces—and another from Turkey that showed a spice market in a bazar that was filled with color and silk and jewelry. He hadn’t know much that he could say—fights and techniques were not anything she would know about and she might not be interested in. The places in between all seemed to be the same to him—alleys and cheap hostels and arenas of street fights.

He had also sent them a generous portion of the money he managed to earn. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was enough to help pay some of her expenses. But if he was using the banking card right, she was not spending much of it. The scant alerts appeared—piling up if he accidentally let the battery on his cell phone die—and he answered each one positively.

He tried to picture what Hana would look like now and realized he had no clue. He hadn’t spent a lot of time around anyone, except his master and his best friend. Ken was no help either—Eliza was on birth control and they had decided to postpone having their children for another five years. So, there was no help on that front. 

He had been rereading Master Gouken’s last letter, when Ken called him, “Dude—seriously. Get back to Japan. I an in a tournament and left my phone at home while I went through the beginning rounds. Master Gouken just blew up my phone and sent me a registered letter trying to get a hold of you. Look, I’m not trying to tell you what to do and I’m really not gonna tell you what to do with your omega, but it sounds like they need you, man.” Ken made a rude sound. “The dojo still doesn’t have a phone. Master Gouken must have gone to the village and used the phone there. That must be serious.”

“I am miles away, Ken.”

“I know you’re on a pre-paid phone, so I won’t waste your minutes, but get back there now. As soon as I’m done with this tournament, I’m picking up Eliza and going.” Ryu paused, sucking in a nervous breath. “I got a bad feeling about this.”

“I know.” He sighed. “I’m heading there now. It’s just going to take a while.”

“Can I do anything? Can I send the plane? Pick you up?”

“No. I’m almost there.” Ryu looked at the roadside signs from his place in the back of an ancient pickup. “By the time the plane landed and I got there, it wouldn’t save any time.”

“Okay, dude. I hope so.” Ken sounded anxious. “Look, they’re calling my bracket. Hopefully I’ll have a trophy to bring home.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. See you there.”

Ryu told himself he had been circling back around to the dojo anyway. Gouken was right—as always. The street fights and tournaments had begun to dry up now that the weather was cooler. Only thugs with nothing to do were fighting now because the more famous and harder fighters were going to their homes to train and to wait out the winter months.

Ryu had honestly never seen a pregnant woman before. Street fighting definitely attracted more men than women in the first place and alphas worth their salt were strict about their omegas. Particularly when those omegas were carrying their pups. He wondered what Hana looked like now. As best he could imagine, Hana would look...kind of like a marshmallow.

He stuck out his thumb and got a ride in the back of a beat up pickup truck headed in roughly the right direction. Wedging himself between the toolboxes and scrap and the gangly ladder, he dug through his bag and pulled out a book. He had made a good bet one night—Dahlsim to win versus an unknown aikido black belt—and gotten a good amount of money from a guy who obviously had never seen the gifted yogi fight before. With a little bit of it, he got a second-hand pregnancy book and as he had time and energy and light, he read the book.

It seemed strange to read the cold and impersonal descriptions of pregnancy. Even stranger were the illustrations and charts showing a blob that inexplicably looked like chewed gum growing into a butter bean shaped blob and then sprouting legs and arms and gradually turning into a baby. There was one picture that showed an illustration of multiple pups which looked like very crowded things.

Was that what Hana looked like now? Swollen into a puffy body with pups kicking her? What was happening to her now? Was she hurting with them hitting and punching her? He tried to imagine what it would feel like to be punched or kicked from the inside and it made him vaguely nauseous—it hurt enough from the outside where he could block it.

He looked up at the vaguely stormy sky. He would be wet and chilled by the time he reached the dojo. He had been cold before, wet before—it would be nothing. He had left Hana in a good place—safe and warm and with food. He was often outside all night during the warm season and it would have been impossible for her to keep up if she was being kicked by pups or sick all the time.

The storm felt vaguely unnatural, though, as it whipped around him. There was a faint scent of ozone and a stench like the smell of roadkill. As he watched the countryside idly, he saw a father with his children, showing them the way he was doing something. That warmed his heart—seeing the two oldest children watching their father with wide eyes and the youngest already distracted and looking at something else. Hana would have his children and when they were old enough, he would stop and teach them Shotokan style.

Maybe one of them would be a street fighter.

The truck surely could go faster than this, couldn’t it? He couldn’t explain it, but he suddenly had a terrible feeling about this. The storm kept whipping up, making the air crackle and thicken oppressively. He was still at least a day out and at the rate he was going, it would be two to get through this province. Maybe he should have had Ken send his plane? No...he was fine. He knew he was anxious to see Hana again—that had to be all this was.

Couldn’t they go faster?


	18. Chapter 18

Gouken stood braced for the fight. The storm spun and lightning crackled, but there was no thunder. The bugs zigzagged around and the birds kept flying in dizzy circles. This was no natural storm.

The water in the puddle jumped again with rippling rings. The smallest pebbles danced like a kernel of rice on a hot pan.

Then the heavy wooden doors simply shattered. Not broken open or shot to pieces, but instead it shattered into tiny splinters like a china dish against a stone. The wooden bits dropped to the dust in a cloud of wood.

Gouken raised his weapon, looking at the empty hole where the gate had been. Far down the path, he could see an unnatural, unhealthy purple glow as it crept up the path. It slid forward like a plague with an unhealthy stench coming to his face in the uncertain winds.

A huge, hulking shadow figure walked up the path. With every step, the pebbles danced higher in the air and the small puddle rippled. Thud. Thud. Every step was an aftershock that shook the very porch Gouken was standing on.

“Who are you, stranger?” Gouken growled.

The dark form which was unnaturally surrounded by shadows seemed to open its eyes and they glowed red as they looked at the old master. “You haven’t forgotten me yet, brother?”

The sword trembled in the old master’s hand as he stared at the huge thing in front of him. “My brother is gone—.”

“Hardly. You just pretend that so that you can continue to offer corrupted teaching of our techniques.”

“Brother?!” Gouken’s eyes went wide. “How—?”

“I have returned, as I promised I would.” A night covered shrug and a smirk of the glowing red eyes. “And as I promised, I will show you the true power of—.”

“The Satsui no Hado,” Gouken breathed. “It cannot be. Anyone...anyone who uses those techniques is destroyed.”

“And then we are put back together again.” The shadows lifted slightly as though the shifting wind blew them away. The large man was in a ripped ghi of worn gray-black and his belt—like Gouken’s—was worn and peeling. His choppy red hair was tied to the very top of his head, making him look like a flickering torch. “If you are strong enough, you can survive anything.”

“You are the destruction of my brother,” Gouken shouted.

“I am the destruction your brother spat out.” The form flexed and the purple aura swelled like a glow of pestilence. “I am what you could never be because I have embraced all of my power, all of power of the Hado. I have become more than human—.”

“You have embraced being a monster. You have embraced your own destruction.” He glared at the dark man. “And you have no place here, brother.”

“I am no longer your brother.” The other man laughed, a stinking sound. “I am Akuma—so you have a name for your destruction and the destruction of these corrupted practices. I am here to cleanse these abominations, to restore the true practices.”

“Your practices are monstrous and you advocate the taking of human life. How many people have you killed? Do you even remember?!”

“You are weak, Gouken. Your corrupt practices are a cancer that I will wipe from the earth.”

Akuma lifted his nose for a moment, taking in whirling air. “Tell me, brother—what are you hiding in there?” He smirked wickedly. “Has the mighty and proud Gouken fallen to earth at last and taken an omega?”

Gouken raised his fists menacingly.

“It doesn’t matter,” Akuma shrugged. “Prepare for the destruction of all your corrupt ways.”

*****************************

Hana shivered as the ground shook over and over, rocking like a dust filled jelly. There were crashes and thuds, the sound of wood splintering. A shaft of wood shot through the wooden floor above her head like a bloody stalactite. Even below the ground in the cellar, she felt it. Her stomach was round and soft as she wrapped her arms around it. The flashlight showed her nothing more than a tiny earthen room with sacks of rice, potatoes and yams. The ground shook again and then things were more desolate in the unnatural silence that followed in the stinking air.

The silence finally stretched on and on and on. Hana bit her nails, trying to stay quiet herself and failing. Ryu had told her to stay where he put her and to be quiet. Gouken had told her to stay inside. No one had said anything about when she could come out.

A pup kicked painfully. Hana made a soft shushing noise, patting the little place where the foot was. Or was it a hand? She bit her lip again, trying to stay quiet. Stay where she was put and stay quiet. That was what she had been told and she knew instinctively that it was her life to be quiet.

Another hard kick.

There was silence above her. She could see faint lines of light between the boards, little drips of dust coming down on her head. All around was a thick smell of dust and dirt and she held her sleeve over her mouth to keep from gagging.

The boards above her head rattled with the first thumping step.

She bit her fist, trying to keep silent as tears went down her cheeks. That was not the gentle Gouken overhead. His steps reflected his light heart and were at times almost silent. She could smell a thick stench that smelled like fermented wisteria and the spice of a hunting alpha.

An oily and deep voice she had never heard before began a shivery sing-song. “I smell something...delicious. A fear scent.”

There was another thud overhead and another trickle of dust rained down.

“Something not to big and not too small.”

Thud.

“Something not too hot and not too cold.”

The furniture that Gouken had moved was whipped aside. The cellar door rattled for a moment and then shattered into a rain of splinters. Hana blinked and whined as dim sunlight flooded down and then was eclipsed by the shadow of an immense man.

“Something just right.”

Hana screamed as a huge hand wrapped completely around her arm and drug her out of the cellar. It was all she could do to keep from bumping and slamming against the steep wooden stairs. Then she was held up by the one hand wrapped around her arm, holding her in midair.

Akuma smirked at her as she struggled lamely. “A little omega mausu.” He sniffed the air, his nostrils flaring. His huge hand covered her whole stomach as he held her in midair. “And look, my little mouse is going to have a litter.”

Hana screamed as his fingers pressed into her stomach with punishing force. “Alpha! M-m-master Gou—!”

He grabbed her neck, forcing her chin up to face him. “You should be glad he is dead and his corrupt teachings died with him.” He leaned closer and took a deep breath. “But I don’t think I smell his scent on you, mouse.”

Her voice burbled and choked through his fingers. Her pups must have sensed her fear because they started kicking and her stomach jerked with their fear. Instinctively she kicked, her feet bouncing off of him like ping pong balls or flower petals.

He laughed at her as she flailed helplessly. “You didn’t belong to my brother, mouse. If you did, your litter would be pumping his scent through you. No, little mouse.... You have an entirely different smell.” He glared at her, his red eyes boring into her green ones. “But this is interesting—these are a fighter’s pups.

“A fighter with an impressive inner strength.” The fingers probed less deeply but no less painfully. “A fighter unlike any other....”

Suddenly, Hana dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. Even his feet beside her were huge, the width of her fist as she laid on the floor. She reached blindly for anything and found nothing. She drug her body to the door desperately, holding an arm around her soft belly as she slid towards the kitchen door.

His foot came to rest on her back. For the smallest of moments, he pressed down with a fraction of his power and Hana felt like a grape being stomped for juice. Helplessly, she writhed to try to find some way that he wasn’t directly on her stomach as his foot went from between her shoulders down to her waist. Her skin crawled to feel power bleeding off of him as she gasped for breath. “Where are you going, mouse?”

She screamed again, feeling him press just a bit harder. The pups gave her a harsh kick and she stilled with a whine. He waited for a breathless second, an elephant stepping on a bug, and then moved back.

“So tell me, little mouse, will your alpha come for you?”

Hana pushed herself up to kneel in front of him. Her head swum dizzily from the polluted scent and she coughed as bile rose to sting her mouth. She barely knew what he said, let alone how to answer. Would Ryu come for her? If she answered ‘yes’, would he kill her now? If she said ‘no’, would he keep her around? “I...I don’t know.”

“You are going to be a good little mouse for me, aren’t you, omega?” He stalked in a thundering circle around Hana. She gagged to see the dark splatters on his worn clothes and the stains on his skin. “You aren’t going to try to run.”

“I...I.... No.” She moaned softly, biting her fist and knowing she was lying. There was no way that she could stay here with this flame haired alpha. She tried to look around, staring at the door to the garden for a moment before he stomped again on the floorboards. The planks shook and she yelped, “No.”

“You are probably dead either way,” taunted Akuma. “If you stay here, then you will watch your alpha die and you may die too. If you abandon your nest, you are a runaway and no one will ever claim you after that. If you leave your pups behind, you will be hunted by the law.” He smirked. “Your best bet is to try to convince me to consider taking you in after you are an accessory to your alpha’s death.”

“N-n-no...he.... Master Gouken—. He wasn’t my alpha.” Why had she said that? She didn’t know. “He was—.”

“Oh? Really?” The alpha grinned in amusement. “And who is?”

“He...his name is Ryu and he’s the greatest fighter in the world,” she snapped back with terrified tears running down her cheeks.

“Really?” The big alpha laughed, reaching down to finger her swollen belly. “He is strong—I’ll give you that—to have given his pups such strength. But do not worry—he will die.”

“No!” Hana squirmed, almost falling backward as he crowded towards her. “No!” Her eyes narrowed as she finally looked up at him. “He...he will kick your—.”

Akuma snarled as he dropped a heavy hand to her shoulder, pinching it hard enough to make her whine. A bruise was a given as he shook her shoulder with a jerk. He pinched up a hank of her auburn hair and rubbed it with a cold smirk. “Once I had an omega like you.”

“Did you kill her, too?!”

“Hardly,” he hissed, his smile glacial. “But she did abandon her nest and my pups.” His hands tightened and then he shrugged. “The pups died as she ran.”

“What did you do...to her?” Hana whimpered fearfully.

“She called me a monster and said that I—her alpha—was insane. That I wasn’t safe.” He let out a low growl. “Such an arrogant omega—thinking she had a choice in any way. Arrogant to think that she knew anything about anything. Arrogant to tell me that the Satsui No Hado was poisonous.” He tugged her hair again. “Such a foolish omega to think she could keep me from embracing the full power of my arts.” He shrugged carelessly. “But the pups shared her weakness, so it is not a loss.”

Hana choked in an unsteady breath as he let go. “What did...did you do?”

He smiled and showed his white teeth, cracking his knuckles. “Would you like to find out—first hand?”

Hana shook her head, her head swimming and her stomach cramping hard enough that she was going to throw up. Instinctively, her hands went to cover her middle.

“But if you become useful, I might let you live.”

What else was she to say? “Y-y-yes, alpha.”

“Good,” he purred. “Now fix me dinner,” he smirked, “and convince me to let your pups live.”

Hana staggered to her feet. Where was Master Gouken? She swatted a pair of flies that were hovering around and began to cook rice and cut up vegetables. The man watched her from the doorway. She flicked her hands to shoo the flies away as she began to cook the vegetables and add the spices. Annoyed, she went to the door to swat the flies out and the big alpha growled, stomping once to remind her without words that she was trapped.

As she began stir-frying the rice, he grinned at her cooly. “Bring me my meal outside so that I can see if your Ryu gets here.”

“Yes, alpha.”

Finally he moved, taking the oppressive air of evil with him. Hana took in a deep breath and cracked her egg. She would need more eggs and she already was missing the fresh fish that the elderly master brought her almost every day. Where was he? It wasn’t like him to be gone like this. But she couldn’t risk angering this new alpha until Ryu came back.

If Ryu came back.

Finally she had a big bowl of vegetable fried rice and another of chicken in a thick and spicy sauce. Akuma was right in front of the destroyed front door, sitting cross-legged on the porch. He didn’t do anything as she came up, and she staggered to reach around him to set the bowls in front of him. Then she handed him a pair of chopsticks.

She couldn’t eat. There was an awful smell and the flies seemed bad for such a cold season. “May I leave, alpha?”

He picked up the chopsticks. “Is your food even edible, mausu?” He picked up a bit of chicken and stuffed it into her mouth. “Eat it.” She swallowed hurriedly. “Now go back to the kitchen, little omega. You are not who I am waiting for.”

She went back to the kitchen, running her wrists under the cool water and sipping some of it desperately. Her whole body was contorting in her fear. Hana took in deep gulping breaths to clear her head, praying that help would come. Maybe the huge bowls of food would make him a bit easier to cope with? She’d have some time, surely, as he ate those huge bowls full of food.

But mere minutes later, she heard him call to her. “Come here, omega.”

She shuffled out and dragging her feet, she slowly crept out. He was standing beside the shattered wooden doors, fingering the chain of bells that hung there. He beckoned her over with a smile that made her blood run cold. She couldn’t even bring herself to hurry more than she was. She barely made it to the porch when she felt a shifting breath of wind surround her with flies and a noxious scent that made her retch. She turned slightly with her eyes wide and her face icy pale.

Master Gouken was laying half in and half out of a crumpled wall. Drying blood was smeared everywhere. Bloated carrion flies buzzed around in a thick cloud. She crept unwillingly closer, her feet dragging along the smooth planks of the porch. Blood seemed to fill the air as she dropped to her knees beside the old master’s crumpled body. It was almost not even recognizable with broken bones contorting him in unnatural ways. Oozing scrapes and swollen purple bruises were all over his body. The only thing she could see was the shreds of the crest she had embroidered on the back of his jacket. The wooden wall was in splinters underneath the purple-gray body and it looked like someone had spray painted everything with rusty red.

Shock flooded her, crumpled her and her knees hit the porch with a crack. It couldn’t be—there was no way that the huge master could be laying there in a drying pool of blood. There was no way that the demon man could be standing there looking just about unharmed. There was no way this could be real, even as she stared back at the demonic man.

Lazily he went to the ruined gate. He tugged the chain of bells and it snapped like a spider thread with a musical jingle. Akuma’s steps were like boulders shattering as she stared again at Gouken. “He was weak, omega—that’s why he lost.”

She vaguely heard the bells jingle like she was listening to a static-filled radio station. Tears. Tears were stuck in her throat and behind her eyes. Nothing came out as she stared at the mangled corpse with her fist suddenly jammed between her teeth. She was blind and deaf as he took the old chain and looped it around her neck. Effortlessly he stretched out one of the rings and then pinched it shut around another one to form a loop of chain dangling with old bells.

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her. “Don’t wander, omega. You won’t like what happens if you do and I have to chase my bait.”

“Y-y-yes, alpha.” Tears finally came, flooding her eyes. “But...we should—.” She waved weakly at the body. “A shovel?”

Akuma only laughed. He had missed the naivety of omegas in his long months of solitude and study and training. “Let that alone, omega. You might get your hands dirty.” He swatted the crude collar and smirked to hear the bells chime as she whined. “Besides, this will only make him stronger.”

She shivered. At last she leaned weakly over the edge of the porch and retched in dry heaves. Kind Master Gouken would never walk with her again. He would never “accidentally” leave a bamboo sword out for her again, turning a blind eye to her frustration and rage as she pounded on a straw-stuffed dummy. He would never sit on the back porch and meditate at night, giving her a smirk as she slipped out to run the path through the bamboo. He would never again tell her about her alpha’s life or the ancient stories of the old Shotokan masters. He would never finish his book about the new martial art he was creating to help omegas. She wept in great noisy sobs, the bitter and scalding bile scorching her throat.

And Ryu was gone. There was no way to tell if he was ever going to return. Kind Master Gouken had encouraged her to not give up hope, but also told her that he would take care of her no matter what the headstrong alpha did. She was alone here, in this ancient dojo and with a monster. She had no one—had no idea if she could even find the mysterious Ken who had been so kind during her heat and who might be the only one to have any idea where Ryu was.

She shuddered violently, the bells ringing in a strange key. Akuma said nothing in his terrifying way, merely waiting until she was almost collapsing in her mourning and then dragging her to a small room inside the main building and locking her inside.

She slept from exhaustion and shock. Nothing—not the sudden flurries of crows cawing in the night, not the lightning cracking overhead, not the swarm of flies growing fat on the carcass, not the static-filled thrum of his dark power—made her stir. Not even her own nausea in her nightmares made her rise.

She woke as the sun was rising and for a moment she expected to hear the calm tread of Gouken. Instead, there was absolute silence. A crow flapped past the window and she yelped at the sudden cawing.

Breakfast. Her stomach roiled and she needed to eat something. Just enough for the children. She dusted herself off and went to the door. It was locked and she felt stupid for even trying. There was a new master here now....

She was allowed to use a bucket of well water for cleaning herself and her clothes, a thin piece of twine tied between her ankles and the bells choking her as she moved. She was allowed to fix a huge breakfast. She was given short orders and she followed them blindly, not questioning when or where Akuma got the dozen eggs or the dead chickens that he had her cook for him.

Otherwise, he put her in this room. She could hear him training, hear wood shattering and pots breaking. She gave prayers for Gouken and herself, but there was nothing to be done except to wait.

She had no way to know how much time passed—maybe an hour, maybe two, maybe half a day. The hallway floor thumped and she heard him pound on the door. “Come out little omega. We’re leaving.”

Hana shook as the door opened and the large alpha pulled her out.


	19. Chapter 19

Ryu made it through the village and stopped at the beginning of the mountain path to rest before climbing. He had not slept much as the truck had trundled through three towns—but then, he hadn’t slept much at all recently. He supposed that it was excitement or anticipation, but there was a silence and a twang in the air that made him truly anxious.

So, for a moment, he meditated, focusing on the nothing of the void to clear his mind. All must fall away so that his intention could be true and his purpose clear. And for a moment, it worked—his mind was a black, blank slate.

Then he saw the dojo in a hazy way. It was his home—where he could always get a warm place to sleep and a meal and some advice and wisdom. It felt different this time—a bit chilly and sour. He would have to talk to Hana....

But instead, he saw darkness surrounding him. Sour smells like thick smoke surrounded him. It made him cringe, made him angry, made him want to fight.

He blinked suddenly, the meditation fading. He ran up the path as fast as he could. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. He kept running, past the huge tori arch and to the....

Completely shattered gates.

He stopped, looking around dumbly. There was a cloud of flies and a sickly sweet fermented smell. He choked on the smell and his feet drug up to the porch. There was sight that made his blood freeze—Master Gouken’s body left for the crows and flies.

He tore through the place. The kitchen was a wreck—like the porch and the front room. The nest was a bit musty as though it had not been opened in some time and the propane tank for her heater was completely empty and her omega card was neatly on the low table. The cellar was messy—boxes and bags overturned and a faint trace of her fear scent lingering.

Going back up, he went back to his master’s broken body. Above him was a character painted in blood, but was it “ten” or “heaven” or “invincible”? He felt his stomach churn and turned back to Gouken’s body. It was the least he could do....

He was alone as the local police came in to see that Gouken was gone and made their cursory reports. He was alone, kneeling, as the heavy body was burned. He was alone as he covered the tiny shrines in his master’s bedroom and the front room. He was alone as he set up a small table and put and lit candles and arranged dried flowers and set incense sticks to burning. He was alone as he put up a plastic tarp to cover the hole in the wall. He was alone as he went to the lawyer the next morning and was given the pile of papers and as he arranged for a stone memorial to be set on the shore of the lake beyond the bamboo grove.

He spent the night alone, kneeling on the grass in the rain, mourning the loss of his omega and his master. He felt the rain pound down on him, icy and punishing. It soaked him to the skin, plastering his hair to his head.

He saw the golden sunrise come over the dojo. The clouds gave way to a cold light. Ryu stood and went back through the building to stare at the shattered gate. Bitterly, he looked around at the shattered wood. He would need some help to restore it, to rebuild. Icily, he supposed that was what Gouken would want—for the damage to be repaired.

The whole place was empty except for him.

Ken showed up sometime that day. He bounced in, skidding to a stop seeing Ryu’s haggard face. “Hell. What happened, Ryu?”

“Master Gouken is dead.”

Ken went pale. “And...? Wait—what?! He’s dead?”

Ryu nodded sourly. “I found him.”

Ken followed him to the lake, stared at the stone marker. They both knelt at the marker, heads bowed in respect for the old alpha. Ryu felt no prayers that could come through him and could only light another stick of incense. Ken huffed angrily, his breath hissing through his teeth.

Finally the American panted, “Master Gouken.... I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I didn’t even bring flowers, but I think that you would want this more. Based on the skills you taught me, I created a new move—to show you.” The American’s fists glowed with orange and he leapt into the air, spinning and shooting his fireball into a dizzying spiral. “Sensosutken!” The energy spun and burst overhead. Ken landed on the balls of his feet. “That...that was for you, Master Gouken.”

Ryu nodded slowly, looking at the stone. “I’m sorry too, Master Gouken. I wasn’t here when you needed me—.”

Ken clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Ryu.”

Ryu knelt with his eyes closed, trying not to see it. “He was murdered, Ken.”

“Where’s Hana?”

“I...I don’t know.” He sighed again, his face scowling and fierce. “I found his body, but I didn’t find her.”

“She...she didn’t abandon the nest,” Ken said softly, stumbling to offer what comfort he could. “I know she wouldn’t.”

“She’s gone. Look...Gouken was going to protect her. He’s been murdered.”

Ken looked around angrily. “And then that bastard is going to pay for what he did to him and to Hana.”

They stalked back to the dojo, feeling empty and alone. Idly, they cleaned up the kitchen as best they could. They were silent and thoughtful, listening to the echoes of their footsteps and the slight creaks of the old building.

“Ryu...maybe...? Maybe we could find her?”

Ryu nodded slightly and shrugged. “I guess.”

“You guess? You guess that you’re going to go get your omega? Your pups?” Ken stared up at him. “You guess you’re going to—?”

“To what? Go after her?! I don’t even know which way to look.” He thumped his fist on the table. “The only clue is that I saw the character ‘ten’ written in his blood above his body. How does that help?!”

Ken nodded sadly. His friend was so obviously distraught—he tried to off a calm voice of reason. “Ryu...come to town with me. Eliza’s at the ryokan. Maybe we can put in the reports and get someone starting to look for Hana. Go to the shelters.”

“Shelters?”

“Yeah, maybe one of the omega shelters has picked her up. She could have gotten out, run away and been picked up.” He shrugged helplessly. “It’s a chance.”

Ryu wasn’t listening, though. The weather outside the kitchen window was dark and stormy in a way he had never seen before. It whooshed around and they heard the screaming of crows flapping around outside. “Ken....outside! Now!”

Both fighters ran outside in time to see Akuma saunter through the shattered gates. “Ahh...not one but two little fighters. Now which one of you is Ryu?”

“I am!”

“Good—now I know who I can kill the other one of you off first.” Akuma tilted his head. “And then I can give your head to the little omega. She’s quite attached to you—and to the pups.”

“In your dreams,” Ken snapped.

The battle raged as all three alphas fought bitterly. Ken and Ryu barely got a hold of Akuma. The demon laughed as he whizzed around them, blocking their blows like a mountain blocks trembling leaves falling from the trees. Both of them were scraped and bleeding when Ryu saw Ken slam his new move into Akuma’s chin, fire shooting around him.

Akuma laughed, his head thrown back only slightly. “Now, finally, one of you is actually fighting.” His red eyes went to Ryu. “It’s a pity it’s not you.”

“Hadoken!” Ryu shouted, shooting it towards the demon.

“Hadoken!” Ken shouted back, catching Akuma in a crossfire.

Akuma stumbled back and then recovered to smirk at them both. “I see.”

With a backhanded fist, Ken went flying and collapsed to the ground feet away. Akuma cupped his hands and Ryu’s eyes went wide at the massive ball of dark energy that appeared. “Let me show you what real power is, pup.” He stalked forward slowly. “And know that I do not have any ill will towards you. You are merely a corrupted student of my brother’s. You are weakened by his teachings and you are not my match.”

Ryu saw the ball of energy release, growing larger and larger as if it was slow motion. Then it shot through him like being shocked with a taser and burned with a flamethrower all at the same time. He felt himself lifted up and slammed against the wall of the dojo before seeing a white light in front of his eyes and hearing his head crack against the wall behind him. Slumping to the ground, he stared at the demon man.

“You show promise, pup.” Slowly Akuma turned away and Ryu saw the blood red character on the back of his shirt. Ten. “Let us meet at the street fight in Hokkaido in six months and see if you are a proper challenge, then.”

“Hana....” Ryu gasped.

“Oh, the little omega? Who knows? She might be so shamed by that pathetic display that she’ll abandon you.” Akuma shrugged. “But maybe not. Omegas are so fickle, aren’t they? Just remember to abandon the corrupted teachings of Gouken and embrace your true power.” Akuma growled. “The Satsui no Hado.”

Ryu groaned in pain and bitterness. “No.”

“And if you are not powerful enough, perhaps one of your pups will be. There is a strong determination, a strong connection and spirit in that one.”

Ryu’s world went abruptly black as Akuma walked away.

**********************************  
Ken was bandaging his head when he woke up. “Hey...look who’s back among the living.”

“Where’s...?”

“Akuma left,” Ken growled with a fierce snarl. “Coward. We’ll get him next time.”

“No....” Ryu panted and pushed himself upright. “He’s right. We weren’t prepared. We weren’t strong enough, fast enough.”

Ken started to say something, but one look at Ryu’s face and he didn’t. “So what do we do now?”

“Now? We train.”

Ken sighed impatiently. “And Hana? What about her?”

“What about her?”

“Those pups are going to be coming in four months, aren’t they?” Ryu looked away with a frown and shrugged. Ken growled, “So she’s got to be the first priority.”

“If Akuma has her, she is as good as dead,” Ryu sighed bitterly. “He won’t spare her.”

Ken shook his head. “Look. I can already see that you’re going to do the whole train until you drop thing. But on our way out, we’ll go to the local shelter and set up alerts. Maybe she’ll turn up while you train.” Ryu shrugged and nodded. “And I’ll come with you.”

“This is my fight.”

Ken sighed. “No—this is our fight.” He looked around at the churned up ground. “So come down to the ryokan and we’ll get started.”

Ryu said nothing, only gathered his bag and began walking downhill. The fighter just stared ahead of him without seeing anything. He didn’t even hear his friend call his name or come running behind him. The path was dark and rainy and muddy and it still wasn’t as cold or barren as he was.

He had failed Master Gouken—the one person who claimed him as kin and family and called him son. He had failed.

Ken watched him go to the town in a dead-eyed march. He ate nothing, felt nothing. Even when Ken brought him his favorite udon noodles and green tea, he didn’t move. “Ryu...? Snap out of it man.” He slurped his share of noodles and watched for see some slight movement—some sign of hope. “Snap out of it.”

He sat there, waiting for Ryu to move or do something and almost afraid that he would. His American sensibilities did not approve or fully understand such things as seppuku or hari-kiri, but his friend? Where was his friend going now? What was his next move and could Ken stop him if he did decide that ritual suicide was the right and proper next step?

So, he sat there with the silent man staring at the bowl of cold noodles. Eliza sent him a text from their room and he texted her back, giving her the abridged version. She sent her sympathies and then was silent. Ken sighed, watching Ryu’s blank features and unmoving form.

The time passed slowly and Ken was about to give up when he heard laughter in the hallway. A child’s high-pitched voice rang out in a shout and suddenly Ryu looked up dizzily and spun towards the door. Ken straightened at the sudden movement and watched as Ryu looked around in confusion, glancing over his other shoulder to where Hana should be.

The child’s voice faded, going down the hallway and Ryu finally looked up at him. “What—?”

“You okay, Ryu?”

He nodded slowly. In a daze he stared at the cold noodles. “Thank you, Ken.”

Ken nodded. “No problem. Hell of a day.” He sighed, staring at his phone as it gave a merry chime. “Hey, the ‘techno-master@mastersinc.com’ has given me a lead.”

“A lead?” Ryu woodenly picked up the bowl and chopsticks and began eating in great wolfing bites as he grabbed up his things. “On Akuma? Where?!”

“On a good guy in one of the shelters,” Ken murmured, seeing his friend’s shoulders slump. He set down the bowl and chopsticks listlessly. “But it is on our way to Tokyo where there’s a fight in four days. Honda is supposed to be there.”

Ryu nodded without expression. Finally, he looked up at Ken and said, “Go to Eliza and tell her that you love her, that you are glad to have her.”

Ken nodded in confusion. “I do. Every day.”

“Good.” Ryu choked down another bite of cold noodles. “Make sure that she’s safe.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes wide and confused. “Okay. Ummm.... Can we go to the shelter, too? Just in case Hana is there?”

Ryu only nodded, listening another small child’s voice in the hallway. He had two pups—one had a fighter’s spirit and one was a boy. Where were they? He stared at the congealed noodles and his hands trembled. What was Hana eating now? Was she hungry or cold? Were the pups still there? He lost his appetite again. He couldn’t even think about laying down in the soft futon in his room when he wondered if she was scared.

Ken drug him out at dawn and he sat in the front seat of Ken’s car, staring at the countryside as Eliza took pictures from the back seat. He didn’t feel the cool breeze from the open windows or the slight tremor from the rough roads. He didn’t hear the American rock blaring from the speakers.

They had been on the north-bound highway for two hours when Eliza pressed her phone into Ken’s hand and they took an exit. They drove through a tiny town to a remote driveway that led them to a small cement block building with tiny windows. A few other buildings were behind it, hidden by thick lines of bamboo and high holly bushes.

“What’s this, Ken?”

“It’s an omega shelter. We’ll see if we can get any info here. Start getting the process rolling.”

The first thing Ryu noticed as he opened the commercial glass door was the smell of rubbing alcohol and bleach. A small string of brass bells above the door chimed again as Ken came in behind him. The small entry room was painted in an artificially cheerful white with branches of flowers in pink and ivory on them. On one wall was a bulletin board of normal business posters—minimum wage laws, mediation laws and copies of business licenses and the like. The second was a overflowing with homemade notices missing omega notices along with ads for omega exchanges and thumbtacked business cards for services. A tiny third board held notices of new omegas available for “adoption” from the shelter.

Ryu scanned the boards restlessly. None of the battered notices were Hana. Ken saw his broad shoulders droop as he scanned the boards again.

“Hold on,” Ken whispered. Ryu didn’t even look at him, only began lifting pages to peak at the older notices under them. “We’ll ask. Sometimes there’s notices that they haven’t put up. Omegas under quarantine.”

A new voice, a gruff baritone, spoke up behind them. “Indeed.”


	20. Chapter 20

Both men looked at the fit and lightly muscled man who came into the area. He seemed small compared to the fighters, but he was definitely fit with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. He wore a blue kimono with dragons carefully embroidered down the left sleeve and his long graying hair was in a carefully traditional loop on top of his head. He stroked the short boxed beard on his chin as he watched them closely before giving them a short bow.

“I am Hanzo,” he said simply with a nod. “And you two are?”

“Looking for an omega,” Ryu snapped gruffly.

For a moment, it looked like Hanzo was going to make a joke or return some kind of gruff response. Ryu felt his cheeks burn slightly—he had not meant to be so sharp. But the third man simply nodded and opened the door to the back. “Come this way to my office.

“We will look through the notices to see if your omega has turned up. If not, we will put out an alert and see if another shelter has picked up the right one.” Hanzo led them down the antiseptic looking hallways to his office. The furniture was modern and clean that held only a cup of pencils and a slim computer. Ken looked up at the two bulletin boards that were covered with various notices and posters. Behind the desk was a small cabinet that held an elaborate bow and a heavy leather quiver. “Please have a seat.”

Ryu plopped down on a chair as Ken looked at Hanzo. “Hey, I recognize that. University of Tokyo kyudo team, right?” He grinned and offered a bow. “You were an award winning archer.”

Hanzo gave a small smirk and nodded. “I am flattered that you follow kyudo so closely.” He returned the bow. “Please, could I first see some identification?”

Ryu lifelessly pulled out his wallet and passed his identity card. Ken pulled out a wallet and then Hanzo tapped the computer. He smiled and handed back their items. “Now, could you please tell me who you are looking for?”

“Hana,” Ryu mumbled.

Hanzo raised an eyebrow. He folded his hands patiently, looking like a patient school principal. “Do you know how many omegas have the name ‘Hana’ or ‘Sakura’? Those are the most popular names given to omegas.” They shook their heads and his fingers went back to the keyboard. “Now, is ‘Hana’ microchipped? Registered somewhere?” Ryu shook his head slowly. “Does she have any distinguishing marks or tattoos?”

“A bond mark,” Ryu answered, gesturing wearily at his neck.

“I see. But you do not have a mark?” Ryu shook his head as his cheeks turned red—he hadn’t even thought about it. “We will do an impression before you leave. What does she look like? Do you have a picture?”

Ryu shook his head again, his cheeks flaming. “I don’t have—.”

Ken laughed softly, a nervous sound. “You’ll have a hard time if you don’t loosen up, Ryu.” He smiled at Hanzo’s solemn patience. “He’s had to...travel for work and we haven’t had time.”

“I see.” He tapped the keys a few more times. “We can get a general description and show you the omegas that we have available for adoption. Perhaps she’s in there.”

Ryu nodded blankly. He gave the best description he could, but it was sounding more and more like a lost cause. How many omegas had light hair and green eyes and a bond mark?

“Very well. Will you please follow me?” Hanzo led them to another gymnasium looking building. Going in, they followed him to a narrow hallway with a brightly lit window. A spry, older gentleman in a security guard’s uniform was sitting at a tiny table and looking out the window. “Hello, Mark-san.”

The older gentleman hopped up and turned on a vent. When he saw them, he broke into a wide smile. “Hey—I know you. You’re Ken Masters, aren’t you? The American Shotokan champ?”

“Hey! A fan,” Ken grinned. “Hey, Mark...? This is my friend Ryu and he’s looking for his omega.”

The guard bobbed a bow. “She lost?” He nodded and the guard bobbed his short bow again. “Well, I guess so if you’re here.” He pointed to the window. “This is a one-way mirror into the common room. The available omegas spend most of their time here. Take a look.”

Both fighters took a look at the assortment of omegas on the other side. They were every shape and color and age, all in what looked like nightgowns. Some were sitting together and sewing. Another group was reading together. Some had plastic needs or hooks and were knitting or crocheting. Still another group walked around the edge of the room together.

Ryu puffed out a breath. “She’s not here.”

“Shucks,” the guard said with a small frown. “And here I was hoping for a happy ending today before the exchanges come in.”

“She’s pregnant,” Ryu said, looking at one of the omegas. She had dark brown skin with short hair in pigtails and was stroking her belly thoughtfully as another one was talking to her. “I have to find her.”

Hanzo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “She...surely she didn’t abandon her nest?” Everyone turned to stare at him as disapproval dripped from his tone. “Did she? With that kind of action—are you sure—?!”

Ken burst out angrily, “Hey—it’s not her fault!”

“Oh?” Hanzo’s tone was full of disbelief. “Are you sure? Then what happened? Why did she abandon the nest?”

Ryu shook with fury as he stared at the window. Two omegas with olive-toned skin and ragged black hair walked past without stopping their conversation. “She was taken.”

“Really?” Hanzo snapped in disbelief. “And was she being beaten? Abused?”

“Now, Hanzo,” the guard soothed. “This is the Ken Masters from the tournaments and papers. If he says that this is a good guy, I’ll believe him.” The guard leaned close to whisper, “He’s very sensitive about this. He’s seen too many abused omegas come in who were labeled ‘flight risks’ or ‘runaways’ when they were running for their lives.”

Ryu kept staring. “I was in a tournament in Okinawa when she was attacked. He...killed Master Gouken—.”

“Old Master Gouken? Son of Goutetsu?” Hanzo’s eyes widened. “He’s...gone?!”

“Yeah,” Ryu said, finally glancing at him. “Did you—?”

“He trained me and my brother for a while when we were young.” He bowed solemnly. “I had not heard. My sympathies for your loss.” He squinted and cocked his head. “So you are that Ryu and Ken? I should have known.” Suddenly, he dropped in a formal bow. “He always spoke highly of you.”

“Yeah,” Ken smirked. “And while my friend here was out, a guy named Akuma came in.”

“Taking your Hana,” finished Hanzo. “I see.” He paused and fiddled with his ring of keys. “And you have lost them both. I am sorry for your loss. Come with me.”

Taking them through another hallway, he led them to a room lined with chain link cages. Each one had a tiny window and a thick mattress pad in the back. “This is where we keep the pregnant ones and the ones that are fully identified. Then they have time and space to nest for a while.”

Ryu and Ken walked to the single occupied cage. Hanzo stopped to pull out some strawberries from a package in a mini fridge. The archer rang a bell on the cage and the dark skinned omega looked up at them. She stroked her heavy, round belly one more time and then went to Hanzo. He pushed his hand through the square opening in the door and she went directly to eat the strawberry from his hand. He glanced at them and nodded as they turned away.

“Very good, omega,” he murmured softly. She nodded, licking the small drop of juice from her lips. “You can rest now.”

She went back to her mat as the men left. Hanzo locked the door behind them and they began walking back. “I will put out a notice to all the shelters to be on the lookout for your Hana. Perhaps one of them will know something.”

“Yeah,” said Ryu without enthusiasm. “Maybe.”

They ended up back at the office. “I am sorry that I cannot do more. She may be in mandatory confinement to be checked for diseases or vermin. She may be in pregnancy confinement. She may simply not be in the system yet.”

Ken snorted with a smile. “You just tell your buddies that there’s a 2,000 reward for her safe return. 5,000 for her and the pups safe return.”

“5,000?” Hanzo asked in disbelief. “For that you could adopt two or three from our shelters.”

Ryu looked at his friend in a daze. “Ken—knock it off.”

“I’ll put the money on the table today,” Ken insisted.

“I don’t have 5,000.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ken grinned. “But that will get people to notice and pay attention.”

“It will,” Hanzo nodded. “Very well. I will add that there’s a reward, but not how much. Otherwise, I’ll never have any peace since I’m the only employee here.”

“Yeah—well make it quick,” Ryu snapped.

“Today. I’ll send out the notice. And I have your numbers.” Hanzo looked at them shrewdly. “Did she have an omega payment card? Sometimes we can track that.”

Ryu shook his head. “Not with her. We found it in the nest where we...found Master Gouken.”

Hanzo nodded, taking out a kit. “Put an alert on it anyway. I follow the card alerts on the computer. If the police pick her up, then we’ll know it.” He opened the kit. “Now, we’ll take a dental impression. It will help us identify her bond mark.”

Ryu took the disposable toothbrush and brushed his teeth and then bit the curved piece of silicon. It looked like—vaguely—like her bond mark. Hanzo nodded and sprayed the mold and set it in a small box. Flicking a switch, the box glowed for 45 seconds and then shut off.

“There. The mold is cured and we’ll be able to use it to help narrow the possibilities.” Hanzo kept tapping keys, adding in information and attaching a picture of the bond mark impression. “This will definitely help.”

Ryu bowed solemnly. “Thank you.”

Hanzo returned the bow. “I hope that you find your omega.”

They went back to Ken’s brilliant red car. Eliza was in the back seat still, tapping on a small computer. Ryu plopped down in the car as Ken slid in behind the wheel. Ken offered a sad smile to his omega in the back and then to his friend. “Hey, don’t worry, Ryu. She’ll turn up.” Ryu only stared out the windshield. “With that much money on the table, she’ll be found before you know it.”

Ryu nodded woodenly. He would be satisfied if he knew she was safe. As it was, she’d be on the streets or worse for one more cold night. His pups might be hungry one more night. She’d be vulnerable one more night.

Ken took him into Tokyo where he kept an apartment. Then he harassed the other man into eating something. They talked about the dojo—the wall would need to be fixed. The blood would need to be more thoroughly cleaned and new tatami brought in. The cellar door would need a bit of work as well. Somehow, they would need to get the gate fixed.

Ryu knelt in the sitting area, staring out a window. Why hadn’t he taken a picture? It was such a simple thing to take a picture of a pretty girl. Why hadn’t he done something? Register her or something to guarantee she could be linked to him. Why hadn’t he done such a simple thing?

He never thought about it, that’s why. He never thought about much more than the next fight. He kept his mind blank and trained until he dropped like he always had. He had never considered that Master Gouken would ever die. So, he left Hana behind because there was never supposed to be danger or change at the dojo. He had gone on the way that he always had.

He bowed his head in shame.

Ryu fixed his host and hostess breakfast early the next morning before returning to the sitting room and doing more pushups and sit-ups. Ken looked at his face and the breakfast before sitting down with Eliza to eat.

“Eliza...look. I know I said I’d spend a little more time with you this trip, but—.”

“But he looks like death warmed over,” she said softly.

“He has an omega out there somewhere.” Ken growled bitterly. “She’s been taken by the fucker who killed Master Gouken. We didn’t find her body, so we think she’s with him.” He grunted. “It’s the pups we have no idea about.”

“Pups?” Her blue eyes went wide. “Oh my God, Ken. How far along was she?”

“Five months give or take.” His eyes narrowed. “Not long enough—.”

Eliza’s voice dropped to a faint whisper. “Not long enough for them to survive.”

His voice went whisper soft as well and he reached to hold her hands. “Yeah.”

“Oh my God.” She cursed lightly with her Southern drawl and looked at the other man as he shifted to one-armed pushups. “He must be going crazy.”

“Yeah.” Ken poked at his eggs. “And the one lead he’s got is a lunatic who jumped Master Gouken.”

She made a tutting noise. “So that’s why he’s beside himself.”

“I’m going to take him to the local Masters Gym and let him train there today.” He shrugged. “There’s a fight here in Tokyo with Honda.”

“So you’re going to take him to blow off some steam and the you’re going to turn him loose to fight.” He nodded solemnly. “And then you’re going to fight yourself.” He flushed and nodded again. She watched the other man switch arms. “Heavens to Betsy, what a mess. But I think it will help keep him from going crazy.” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Just give me pics that I can post. Your feed is getting a bit stale.”

He grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.”


	21. Chapter 21

Ken drug Ryu to the slick, modern gym. Every Masters Gym worldwide had the best variety of machines and champions of every kind trained here. The walls were filled with autographed pictures of trophy wielding athletes and bodybuilders—Chuck Norris, Carey Hideyoshi-Takawa, Fei Long, E. Honda, Bruce Lee, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and more. There were tons of posters illustrating muscle groups and workout moves.

“So, Ryu,” Ken said at the guest services desk. “Here’s your gold membership card. You’ve got unlimited time in here. But the snack bar and smoothies are on you.”

Ryu studied the huge weight machines and free weights solemnly. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” Ken grinned and gestured restlessly. “Did you put the alert out on the card?”

Ryu took out his phone and fiddled with it. “How do you do that?” 

Ken took the phone and hit the buttons. A brilliant red alert came up saying ‘Are you sure you want to freeze this omega payment card?’. Ken looked up at him and Ryu nodded absently. He clicked ‘Yes’ and then took a picture of Ryu with the phone app. “There you go. If she tries to do anything connected to your account, she’ll be held until you appear and your face is attached to the alert, so they’ll know it’s you.”

Ryu sighed absently, watching the others go back and forth without a care. “Thanks again, Ken.”

“Sure thing,” Ken smiled. “So, could I ask for a favor?” Ryu nodded at him with a morbidly blank look. “Could we get a pic for the wall?”

Ryu looked at the walls and gave him a half smirk. “I don’t think I fit in with your celebrities, Ken.”

Ken grinned. “You probably have fans world wide. So, give them a good shot.” He gave his phone to a thin woman wearing the Masters Gym uniform. “Here—let’s take a pic together.” She snapped a picture and he nodded, glancing at her name tag. “Tiffany, print this pic and we’ll both sign it.” A few minutes later, she came out with a printout and they both signed it with a black marker. Quite quickly, Tiffany had it in a cheap, generic frame and hung on the wall. “Thanks, Tiffany.”

Ryu forgot her as soon as she hung it up as Ken went around signing autographs and taking pictures. His new friend Tiffany took pictures of them both using the machines and training. Ryu was sure that he would have those photos up on his website before the day ended, but even that was forgotten as he began lifting weights. His muscles burned as he kept adding weight to the bar and he was able to forget everything else for a moment more.

He kept busy the entire day, adding weights and trying to keep moving. When he got tired of dead lifts and squats, he picked up two hand weights and loaded them up and began punching and jabbing. Then more time on the treadmills. Sweat soaked him as he kept going and going. Even the other fitness buffs started to stare nervously at him as he sweated and kept going. Ken gave him a call—suggested going to the apartment for dinner—and he glanced at the clock on the wall.

He had been doing this for six hours.

Grabbing some towels, he went to the showers. There was nothing else to do here but to go out and meet Ken, who insisted on going to pick up three bowls of his favorite udon noodles and going back to the apartment. Eliza was there already there, typing and editing the photos Ken had sent her. She looked up with a smile and a half wave and went back to what she was doing.

Ken took her a bowl and went to stare over her shoulder as she did the updates. Ryu watched them blankly, both of them golden haired and suntanned and smiling. She pointed to the computer screen and he nodded at her changes. He smirked and then kissed her.

Out of courtesy, Ryu went to change into something a little cleaner and showered again quickly. He stared at the blisters on his hands and the small scrapes on his hands and feet. What was Hana doing now? Was she cold in the late-autumn chill? Was she able to eat? Did she have somewhere to sleep? Frustration burned in him. If it weren’t for his certainty that Ken would never forgive him, he’d start punching the walls now.

Walking back out, he picked up the plastic bowl of steaming noodles and stared at it. Ken had gotten his favorite—vegetables with no tofu and extra broccoli and a sweet, ginger sauce. He glanced up at his friend—the blond alpha with his equally beautiful blonde omega as they smiled and whispered to each other—and then went out to the street. There was a small park across the street and he went to sit there.

He stared at the noodles and the slight steam coming off the top of the bowl. The bench felt too comfortable and he went to sit against a tree to stare at the sky. At least there he could feel the sharp stones and the thick knots of roots against every aching muscle. A small, wiry vagabond with two huge bags walked past, his eyes wide and staring from underneath the layers of mismatched clothes.

“Here you go,” he grunted, offering the bowl.

The hobo stared at the bowl and licked his lips hungrily. “You...you sure, man?”

Ryu nodded, shoving it at him. “Yeah.”

The other man grabbed it and stuffed his cheeks. “Thanks, man. Can’t remember the last time I had something hot to eat.” He gobbled another few bites. “This is real good, too. Fresh.”

Ryu watched as he plopped down across him. He kept stuffing his cheeks, the puffs of steam billowing out from the long noodles. “So you look new to this.” He gestured. “Have you been to the shelter yet? They got some blankets and stuff.” He shook his head slowly. “Maybe they can help you out. You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine.”

“O-o-o-okay.” He grinned a gap-toothed smile. “Sure, whatever you say.” A brief pause. “You gonna go to that fight in a few days?”

Ryu nodded. “I need to be there.”

“Well...maybe I’ll see you there. There’s always a dumpster full of leftovers and snacks and sandwiches after that crowd leaves.” He offered that gap toothed smile again. “Plenty of stuff for everyone.” He waggled his eyebrows meaningfully. “And sometimes there’s even some girls picking through the leftovers.”

“Really?” Ryu’s voice was far more eager than it should be. “You don’t say.”

“Yeah.... Sometimes they’re picked up by the shelters, though, so you have to be careful.” He cocked his head, slurping the last of the noodles. “Then the cops show up and beat the guys off in case one of them is a runaway omega.”

Ryu’s hands went into fists and then relaxed. He was going to be at every street fight in the country if that was a way to try and find Hana. He stared at the other man as the guy finally and smiled. Offering his hand, he said, “The name’s Ryu.”

“Ryu, eh? I’m Nobuo.” They shook hands. “I’ll see you at the fight, then.” He staggered up to his feet and put the bags over his shoulders again. “Just one more thing—get out of the park before the second round. The first round the police ask you to leave. The second round they don’t ask.”

Ryu nodded. “Thanks again.”

“No problem. I’ll see you around, Ryu.”

He watched as the other man lumbered off. Nobuo disappeared in the early evening fog. The cold seeped into his muscles, making them start to cramp. It was a good feeling—being in pain and cold and alone—and felt like a link to what Hana might be feeling. It felt good to suffer for even a small instant because he knew that he was going to go into a clean and heated apartment with a comfortable place to sleep. There was no telling what kind of sleep Hana would get tonight. Finally, he got up to run—praying for sharp and uneven paths because he couldn’t sit still another instant and he needed to hurt.

It was after 10:30 when Ryu buzzed into the apartment. Ken came down in a bleary daze and let him in. “Where have you been?”

“Out.”

Ken sniffed curiously, opening one eye. “Out training? At this hour?”

“Running around the park,” Ryu said in a gruff tone.

“Ummm...yeah.” Ken led him back to the apartment. “Just do me a favor and shower before hitting the hay. Eliza’s not going to be happy cleaning up both beds.” He gave his friend another look. “I can’t wait to visit this omega for a while if she’s willing to put up with you.”

Ryu showered and dropped into the spare bed naked. Exhaustion alone made him sleep in the strangely empty bed. His dreams were disjointed and disturbing. He kept threading through a faceless crowd looking for Hana, only to end up in a sandy arena streaked with blood. It covered his feet as he shuffled through it, looking for hair the color sunlit copper, and went back into the crowd. Again and again, he ended up back in the arena, until his feet were red and covered with sand.

He shot awake at dawn, aching and sore. He reached into his bag and pulled out some generic painkillers, dressed and walked to the gym. This time of day, the steel and glass building was deserted and so he did katas in a side alley. Tiffany was there a half hour after he got there and let him in. Again, he went to the machines and the weights, wearing himself out.

He stopped when Hanzo called him, the phone in a hopeful place of pride on top of his usual bag. “A few new girls were picked up. Maybe your Hana is here.”

“Thanks,” Ryu sighed blearily, wiping his face with one of the copious towels that were neatly rolled in stacks everywhere. “I’m in Tokyo, but I can catch a train and be there in two hours....”

“Let me send you pictures. Perhaps I can save you a trip,” he suggested in a not unkind voice. “Do you have a computer?”

“No,” Ryu grunted. “I’ll just come by.”

“Very well. Just...don’t get your hopes up.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of them, one matches your description, but she’s not obviously carrying pups.” Ryu’s shoulders slumped. “The two that are carrying....”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I’ll send the pictures to the number you and your friend left. Perhaps....” A long silence filled the line. “Perhaps next time.”

Ryu left a message with Eliza and went anyway. He was jostled and crowded on the train and then in the small compact car that picked him up, but it was worth it to see the tiny building. Hanzo stood there with a placid expression on his face as a sweating, obese man with a chain leash in his hand and a cane in the other.

“Why can’t I go pick her up?! I’m sure she’s here!” he bellowed.

“I am truly sorry, but she is currently quarantined—.”

“Quarantined?! What?! Why? She’s had all her shots!”

“It is the policy of all the shelters in this province to keep sheltered omegas for a minimum of two weeks to prevent contagion and to make sure that they are well.”

“Two weeks?!” The fat man’s face went red, a vessel popping out on his neck and his hands shaking.

“Not to mention if she’s actually ill, then she might require....” He shrugged. “Who can say? Perhaps another lengthy stay?”

The fat man puffed angrily, his face an even darker red. “Fine!”

“Then we will see you soon,” Hanzo nodded as the man turned around angrily. “I feel sure that it would help to see her alpha—.”

Ryu slid to one side as the large man lurched out, the bells on the door jingling. The archer gave him a smile that entirely too smug and he felt compelled to ask, “What was that about?”

“He is known to beat omegas. The last one lost her pups because he was ‘training’ her and she almost died.” He snarled at the doorway, jutting his bearded chin at the doorway. “This one got out and ran, then ended up here. Our mandated quarantine is—just between you and me—is a week, but we can elect to keep them in quarantine for up to two weeks to observe for signs of illness.” He shrugged innocently. “And it is hardly my fault the law allows a separate shelter to take them to spread the news and hopefully find a gentle alpha for them if they are unclaimed.”

Ryu smiled for the first time he had gotten to the dojo to find Hana gone and his master dead. “That’s handy.”

“We cannot do much for them,” Hanzo sighed, leading him back. “The laws are not in the omegas’ favor, but sometimes we can do some small amount of good.” He stopped and pulled out the box of strawberries. “Come...I will show you the two who are obviously carrying first.”

The first one was a slight girl with dark, almond shaped eyes and green hair. She looked at him with an anxious expression, her hands continually stroking her belly. Around her wrists and ankles and neck were hideous rope burns or friction burns and she had a black eye. Hanzo gently tapped the door and picked up a strawberry by the stem and slid it through the cage to her.

“Come, come,” he murmured softly. The omega looked up at him and shook her head, biting her lip. “Come and take the strawberry, omega. We won’t hurt you.” She shook her head again, curling up in a knot and pushing to the back of the cage. “All right—maybe later.” Very slowly, Hanzo pulled his hand back, keeping his voice even and low. “I will come and talk to you later.”

Ryu smiled at her, murmuring, “What...?”

Hanzo shrugged, maintaining his even tone and calm expression. “She is obviously abused. I try to keep them calm and offer them a treat if they come up to talk to me. It helps to show them that they can trust me, can talk to me.”

They moved down a few cages. The next one was a painfully thin, dark haired girl with skin so pale it seemed to glow and wide, frightened blue eyes over three razor thin scratches down her cheek. Hanzo glanced at the small card on her cage and put the strawberries away. He reached into the fridge and pulled out a small carton of melon balls. Glancing at Ryu, he murmured, “This one is allergic to strawberries.”

This one clamored up almost before Hanzo had his hand through the square hole in the door. She had bruises all up and down her arms and then her legs were covered with peculiar bruises in the shape of half circles. As she came forward, Ryu could see she was favoring one side and he’d bet that she had another spectacular bruise along her ribs too. Her fingers clutched the fencing and she eagerly took the treat from his fingers, licking the juice up. Her eyes went up to the alpha fighter and she let out a soft whine. Ryu reached up to touch her fingertips and she scuttled backwards, holding her arms over her head and crying out.

“Calm down, omega,” Hanzo whispered as Ryu froze. “He is a friend. He will not harm you.”

She looked up at them timidly. Slowly, she nodded, lowering her arms. “Wh-wh-why are you here?”

Ryu looked at her calmly. “I am looking for my omega.” She nodded slightly, her eyes scared and distrusting. “She is carrying my pups and was taken—.”

The omega snorted angrily, then glanced at the archer nervously. “I’ll bet. And was she beaten half to death, too?” She glanced at the men and bit her lip. Hanzo cleared his throat with an arched eyebrow. Looking down angrily, she hissed, “I apologize, alpha.”

Ryu nodded solemnly. “What happened to you, omega?”

“I fell down,” she muttered with a sour face. The omega in the first cage gasped, and Ryu saw the tips of that one’s fingers locking around the fence door. Hanzo gave him a telling look and his head shook ever so slightly at the obvious lie. Her cheeks flamed and she looked away. “Alpha.”

Ryu knelt down to look at the omega. “I have seen those types of bruises before.” He kept his voice low and even, mimicking Hanzo’s soft voice. “They are the bruises from a fist, aren’t they? And the first two knuckles, too, right?” She nodded, staring at him warily. “But not from someone my size—someone thinner, right?”

He looked at her carefully. “And he was probably very tall, too, wasn’t he? From the look of the ones on your legs, though, he wore shoes with a hard sole and a short round heel.” He pointed to his cheek. “And I’ll bet he wore claws over his hands.”

Her eyes got wider and wider as she kept nodding. “Who...who are you? How do you...know?”

Ryu stood, glancing over at Hanzo. “His name, if I’m right, is Vega.” The omega nodded fearfully. “And I’ll bet that her carrying pups—.”

“He said I was ugly now,” she interrupted with a cutting hiss, crawling a bit closer. “That the pups were going to be ugly and made...made me ugly.” Her hands went into tiny fists. “He won’t be here to pick me up.”

Ryu sighed and nodded. “You’ll be safe here, omega.”

“I’m glad,” she hissed. She glared up at them both, her hands over her stomach. “I’m glad that I won’t be going back. He doesn’t want the pups. He only wanted someone to take his knot and to kiss his ass.” She shrugged. “And he’s got other omegas anyway—he won’t miss me.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened slightly, but that was the only expression on his face. Instead, he picked up another piece of melon and put his hand through the bars. Her eyes flicked between the two of them and she slid forward long enough to eat it and then back. “Good girl.”

Ryu stood up. Vega was in town—probably for the fight. His eyes flicked to the other man and then back to the omega. “How did you get out?”

“He kicked me out—tossed me out the back door into the bags of garbage.” She shook with anger and then her face smoothed into a cold and calculating expression. “But you could have me, alpha.” She knelt in an obviously practiced way that was as chilly as it was seductive. “I will be up for adoption in...a week?”

Ryu flushed slightly. “I...uh....”

“And I do not want that monster’s pups,” she hissed bitterly. “But I will serve you well if you will adopt me.” She smiled up in that calculating way, stroking her belly. “And I’ll give you all the pups you want.”

Ryu backed up a step, his eyes growing cold. Hanzo sighed and in his lowest, calmest voice said, “Marta, watch your words here.” He offered her a stiff smile. “You do not want to have the reputation of being a danger to your pups as well as being a runaway.”

“I’m not!”

He nodded stiffly. “I know, but he reported you as a runaway anyway.”

She whined softly and seemed to break down for a moment. “I...I know.”

“And you do not hate your innocent pups, do you?” She shook her head, looking away from them. Hanzo watched her for a moment and sighed. “I know it is hard, omega. But your pups—.” She glared again at them and then rolled over with her back to them. The mat in the back of the cage seemed suddenly very bare and cold as she ignored them both completely. “Come, Ryu, we will go back.”

They went back to Hanzo’s office. The archer looked solemn as he offered the fighter a seat. “I regret that you had to see that.”

Ryu shrugged. “It is natural.” He growled, bumping his fists together. “Vega is a monster.”

“And how do you know him?”

“He is in the same tournaments and fights that I am in.” Ryu sighed impatiently. “He is a known criminal—.”

“Really?” Hanzo sounded faintly amused. “In that case, we can keep Marta here and keep an eye on her. The police do not have the facilities to house an omega during criminal investigations and they often end up here.” He took out a form. “Would you be willing to make a statement?”

Ryu nodded, offering up what details he could about Vega as Hanzo filled out the paperwork. “But why do you care?”

“Because...it is a dishonorable thing for an alpha to abuse or drive out an omega he is supposed to be protecting, is it not?” Hanzo began writing again. “And to forget that we all came from an omega? There is no excuse.”

“And what will happen to Marta and her pups?”

“She will...unfortunately, probably end up being a shelter omega until any police action is finished or the pups come—whichever is last. Hopefully, when the pups are weaned, they will be betas and can be adopted by loving families.” He sighed. “Omega pups go immediately into state run homes until they present and then they are.... Well, until they present....” He shrugged with a bitter scowl on his face. “Unless she can be adopted by someone who wants her and her pups....”

“And alpha pups?”

“We will pray that there are no alpha pups.”

Ryu sat thoughtfully. “Do all the omegas come through like that? Beaten half to hell?”

“Some. Most of them. A few are here accidentally because of a sudden death or accident. One of them—another ‘Hana’—her alpha had a heart attack and was left in a rest home, but she is relatively well and has a sweet nature and there is an application for her adoption already.” Hanzo sat back, looking at Ryu. “We get the ones that are too old to carry pups or are barren. They are often picked up quickly to either help the primary omega through her childbearing or to work in omega schools.”

Ryu felt himself grow pale. “I thought...alphas kept their pups.”

“If they claim them. If they want to claim them.” Hanzo over the desk, resting his chin on his hands. “Some alphas do not want alpha pups at all. Others only want alpha pups. In some ways it is unfortunate that we have the blood work and medical practices we do now because some alphas will selectively choose to have pups of certain genders.

“But that is a long and hard battle. There are petitions and bills for more omega protections, of course, but they are often rejected. Many reason that omegas are uneducated and, worse, uneducable and that they should not be a centerpiece of any policy. Even the common sense policies—mandated vaccines, mandated spacing between births, easily available birth control and a comprehensive reproductive education—are often seen as heretical and are defeated.”

Ryu nodded slowly. “I should be getting back.”

“I will continue to let you know if I hear anything.” Hanzo shook the younger alpha’s hand. “Good luck in your...ahh...tournament.”

Ryu bowed solemnly. “Good luck with your political work.”


	22. Chapter 22

Ryu went back to the gym and began working out. There was nothing else he could think of to do. Just train until his eyes were stinging with dripping sweat and his muscles ached. He stopped long enough to purchase a protein smoothie and then went back to the weights. He wanted to stop, but he kept seeing Marta and the other omegas—beat half to hell and back. If he had half of that kind of strength, that kind of sheer determination to live, he would be unstoppable.

Finally, he realized he was just done. The fruit and almond butter smoothie was not a lot to go on. He staggered out and went back to the apartment—Eliza buzzed him in. He went to the shower immediately and dug out his last clean clothes. He crumpled to see that it was the pair he had given Hana to repair and his fingers traced the flaming dragon down the leg in white thread on the white fabric.

Walking out, he saw Ken sitting with Eliza and going over the website. Without disturbing them, he went to kneel in front of the television and begin the elaborate stretching that kept him limber. He had to win this fight and doing nothing would only make him insane.

They were still working when he was done and he finally went to the compact galley kitchen and fixed omelettes with cheese and herbs and mushrooms. Carrying out the plates, he set servings down for them and went to eat his by himself.

“Hey, Ryu,” Ken called. “Give me five and I’ll be able to go spar with you.”

He shrugged, picking at the eggs. What was Hana eating tonight? Had she eaten at all today? Was she warm? Was she able to sleep tonight? Was she in pain? Mechanically, he ate a few bites, forcing himself to take in fuel for the fight. He needed to be faster, stronger to defeat Akuma and that’s all he could think of as he forced himself to eat.

Ken sighed, looking up at the dark haired man. “Eliza...maybe....”

She shivered and looked up at her alpha. “Could I maybe speak to him?”

At his nod, she stood and went to sit across from the dark haired man. His eyes were staring at her, but not focused on anything. “Hey, Ryu. I know that things are tough right now.” He said nothing and she glanced at Ken for encouragement. “Can you...talk about what’s—?”

He finally focused on her. “I apologize. I am....” He stood abruptly and tossed his food. “I am not hungry.”

Eliza grabbed his arm. “No.... It’s okay. Ken told me about...about Master Gouken. That you found him. I’m so sorry, darlin’.” He nodded shortly. “Can I do anything to help?”

He sighed, his mouth thinning. “There is...nothing to be done.”

Her blue eyes went soft. “Do you have somewhere to go? A place to sleep and eat?”

He felt cold and stiff with the sweat sticking to him like a layer of glue. “I am fine.” Eliza backed up a bit, her hands going up. “Master Gouken left the dojo to me.” He sighed, seeing her looking alarmed. “I will be fine.”

She frowned and scolded, “No, you aren’t. You’ve been tearing yourself apart. Not sleeping. Not eating.” She put her hands on his chest gently. “Now, you...you sit down and I’m going to rustle you up something worth eating. Then you’re gonna get some sleep.”

“You don’t understand.” Ryu stared down at her angrily until she moved her hands. “And what are you going to do if I don’t?”

She stared up at him, her pupils widening as he looked down at her. He was an alpha and heavily muscled and well trained and considerably bigger than she. Finally, her eyes lowered. “All right. I get it. You’re a big alpha who doesn’t need an omega—!” Ryu suddenly shoved past her and left the apartment. “Hey! I’m not done with you!”

Ryu fled down the hallways and outside. He went to the first wide alley and began shadowboxing. He could whip through his katas—they were as natural as breathing. He could dodge and move around to his heart’s content. His lungs could burn and his muscles could ache and he could keep moving.

Nothing hurt as much as hearing her say he didn’t need an omega. He’d rather be knocked out by Blanka—the electric current cramping his muscles and burning his nerves at the same time—than hear that again. Because he needed to have Hana back and if he didn’t see his pups he would go insane.

Finally, when the last bar on the block turned off its lights, he stopped. His head was spinning and he ached. She wasn’t wrong. He needed some food—real food—and some real sleep. He needed to be rested for the tournament. If that slippery Vega was in the tournament, he would need to be at his best.

Woodenly, he went inside again. His skin crawled to accept any form of comfort, but he needed to do something with this frantic and helpless energy. He got buzzed in without comment, his friend letting him in before going back to bed. Since Ken and Eliza were asleep, he took the time to wash his clothes and dry them. He napped on the chair until the soft chime sounded and he could take everything out.

For some reason, he took the embroidered pants and set them aside. That was—as stupid as it was—what he wanted to wear at the fight. There was some small chance that Akuma would be there and perhaps Hana would hear of it. The tiny chance that she might even hear of it was enough to make him save them.

He did finally sleep—just about eight hours—and then he finally ate the food that Eliza put in front of him. The spaghetti and meatballs were good, but it may as well have been sawdust. Ken’s sarcasm and teasing floated past without him hearing it. 

Ken forbade Eliza from attending the fight. Ryu agreed with him, but said nothing as she argued with Ken. Finally, she stalked to the bedroom and slammed the doors. They paused for a moment and then walked out silently with bags over their shoulders.

“Where’s the fight?” Ken asked to make conversation.

“In a sports field eight blocks away,” Ryu replied. “Not far.”

“Great. Hey...could I get a picture of us before the fight?” Ryu looked at him, surprised, as he blushed nervously. “Eliza can’t come, so I’m her official deputy photographer.”

“Official deputy photographer?”

“Well...maybe more like official, deputy, junior intern photographer.” Ken laughed as he pulled out a slim device. “Actually, she continually asks why she trusts me with a camera.”

“Why does she?”

“Because I don’t trust her at a fight,” Ken sighed with a chuckle. “I’ve told her that it’s just too dangerous.” He kicked a rock and watched it bounce down the sidewalk. “She might be okay and she’d take amazing pictures, but I don’t want some alpha deciding she’s tasty.” He looked at his friend. “I don’t want anything to happen to her. She’s my life, Ryu.”

“Are you going to...marry her?”

“Yeah. Once the movie deal gets signed, I’m taking her to California and going to propose on the beach. It’ll be great press, but it will also mean a lot that she’s mine.”

“Good,” Ryu nodded. “I hope you have a long and happy life.”

“And kids man. I never thought I’d say this, but I really want to have some kids with her. She’s sharp. She’s sassy and smart and everything that I love.” Ken grinned. “I was worried that kids were going to be a serious cramp in our style with me traveling and fighting and everything. But with her, I am actually looking forward to it.”

Ryu nodded, looking blankly at the crowd walking towards the sports field. His eyes became dull and blank and his voice seemed to become hollow. “We’ll be there soon.”

Ken looked at him, and wisely shut up. The sleazy organizer had lock-picked open the locker rooms and had cheaply copied brackets written up. He looked at Ryu, smirking at the names printed there, “Okay, so there’s you and me and Honda and Vega.” He snorted. “How did Vega get seeded in the top bracket?”

Honda came out from the shower area. He was huge and had fresh makeup on and was in his comfortable robe. “He’s bribed Takeda.”

“Takeda? Isn’t he the guy with the used car lots?” Ken asked.

“And the guy who paid for the event,” Honda nodded slowly. “He’s the one who put in the 2,500 for the prize money.”

“What does he get out of it?”

“Lots of free publicity and he got some kind of tax break for sponsoring a community event.”

Ken snorted, snapping his fingers. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

The sumo wrestler grunted impatiently. “That’s why we’re fighting and he’s up in the booth hobnobbing.” The speakers announced the first bracket. Ken and Honda watched as Ryu silently went out to the field without saying anything. “What’s eating him?”

Ken snorted. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Well, we Japanese fighters need to stick together.” He grinned. “I can tell you that I’m looking forward to fighting either of you but I’m hoping that one of you gets Vega.”

The stands were crowded with shouting people as they walked out. There were flashing lights and the roar of the crowd was electric. Takeda had blocked off a wide square in the middle of the field and made some effort to get the word out and make it organized.

Ken, Ryu and Edmond Honda burned through the beginning rounds easily. They were mostly students of local dojos and a few has-beens from the tournament circuits. It was almost too easy, but every time that they looked up, they could see Vega preening from the press booth. Ken and E chatted easily, catching up on old times, new fights and good friends. Every so often, one or the other of them would try to talk to Ryu, but the Japanese fighter only silently stared at the fighters in front of him. When his name was called, he’d go to the field and fight, his eyes glaring and his fists clenched, and then return to the bench without a word.

Ken and Honda watched Ryu unleash a devastating series of attacks on a wiry guy. They could barely see his jabs, only the backward snapping head of the retreating fighter. Without stopping, Ryu shot out three snap kicks. The other one managed to dodge dizzily and gave a weak kick himself. With a roaring cry, Ryu dodged and gave him an uppercut that flipped him out of the ring. His eyes seemed almost to be a burning red as he growled at the opponent. Without stopping to even look at his fallen opponent or the crazed crowds or the bouncing people shouting, Ryu left the ring to go sit on the metal bench and wait for his next fight.

“A minute fifteen,” the sumo wrestler muttered, glancing up at the glowing timer on the scoreboard. “No bad.”

Ken glanced at the next two nameless competitors and then looked at the brackets. “I guess I’m up with whoever wins this round.”

“Yeah, well, they don’t look that tough.” He cocked a smug smile. “So what are you two doing here?”

Ken shrugged a little. “I’m just in the neighborhood.”

Honda frowned, pushing his robe off his shoulders. “I guess.” A pause. “But is there anything else?”

“Nah, man.” He puffed out a breath and shook his shaggy gold hair. “Not for me at least.” Ken shrugged as they looked at Ryu watching with every muscle tensed and a scowl on his face as he watched the fighters. “He’s....”

The sumo nodded. “You I’m not worried about. Him?”

“He’s just going through a rough time. Don’t worry—we’ll get it figured out.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. I have never seen him like this.” Honda tilted his head. “Usually he’s at least a little interested in the fight. At least seeing that his opponent is breathing. I haven’t ever seen him fight like he’s waiting to kill someone.”

Ken nodded, watching as Ryu went back out for his next fight. Again, he pounded his most powerful attacks into the opponent. There was no pause, no breath—not even the slightest remorse as the other fighter went down, groaning in agony. He didn’t even look at the people cheering, the few people around the makeshift ring and the sumo and the American could only exchange nervous looks.

A half hour later, it was down to the final four fighters—Ken, Ryu, Honda, and Vega. Ken and Honda faced each other, enjoying a more leisurely fight that let them appreciate each other’s respective style. For the experts, it was a beautiful experience that highlighted their strengths. They ran out of time on two of the rounds, but ultimately Ken won.

Next, Ryu faced Ken and the American appreciated what the sumo wrestler had observed. Ryu was almost unrecognizable as he mercilessly fought forward. Ken tried to block, to punch and kick in return, but the other man’s attacks were unforgiving and his whole face was twisted in agonized fury. “Ryu! Hey!” Ryu fought on, slamming his fists forward with a dark and almost frightening determination. “Could you—?!” Ryu caught him with an uppercut and he fell back out of the ring. Standing up, he went back and bowed. Ryu nodded shortly, his arms crossed as he scowled. “What’s eating you?”

Ryu raised his fists as the announcer shouted about the next round. “I’m going to get Vega.” He pounded three sharp punches. “I need to get to him.”

Ken was going to ask why when it was Akuma that they were after, but didn’t have a chance. He was showered with punches and kicks and suddenly found himself flattened down on the ground. Before he could roll away, Ryu was on top of him, grabbing his red lapel with his fist above his head and a faint crackle of his ki power sparking.

“Ryu!” Ken groaned, holding up his hands. “Hold on.” Ryu’s eyes seemed to glisten with bloodlust. “It’s me! Hey—stop!” Ryu blinked as though he had been sleeping, shook himself and stood up suddenly as if he was surprised to see Ken in the ring with him. “Save it for Vega, huh?”

They bowed to each other and Ken was grateful to get out of the way. Honda had his robe back on and sat on the bench, grinning as the American fighter groaned and sat down. “Your friend is a hell of a fighter.” Another groan and he continued with a nod. “What’s eating him?”

“I don’t know.” He let out a groan and pressed his hand against his ribs. “He said he needed to fight Vega.”

“Well, that’s good, because Vega’s next.”

They both watched as Ryu and Vega greeted each other. The atmosphere went electric and all eyes were on the match. Even the blinding flashbulbs were off and the stands were almost silent. The explosive moves were unendingly harsh and direct, but the fight was entirely one sided. Vega was fighting to please the crowd with his flexible and beautiful style. Anyone with eyes could see that Ryu was fighting for blood.

The Shotokan fighter was not just hitting for points, to win, but to raise welts and bruises and break bones. Vega growled curses in Spanish and English, but Ryu didn’t hear them. Instead, he slid in close and dodged the sharp claws to yank off the heavy mask. Lightning fast, he dropped the mask and stomped on it, crushing it into a mangled mess before a lightning sweep made the pieces fly off the field.

“Ugly brute!” Vega shouted. “To think that a sweaty beast like you is worthy to face me.” Ryu didn’t say anything, only danced around to drop a sucker punch low and then jabbed to get his nose. Vega screamed, “You will pay for touching my face!” His claws shot out to dig into Ryu’s side. “I’ll peel your skin off and no omega will dare to look at—!”

Ryu’s fists shot out the brilliant ball of pure purple energy that crackled with malice and hate, right at the Spanish fighter’s face. It exploded and Vega went down, twitching. Several people came running up, but he wouldn’t—or couldn’t—rise for the next round. Nervous eyes watched as Ryu paced back and forth, all his attention on Vega.

Ken whistled softly. “Stay down, moron.”

Honda’s voice also went surprisingly sympathetic as he nodded. “If he’s smart, he’ll stay down. Otherwise, Ryu’s going to kill him.”

“For once, I hope you’re wrong.” Ken shook his head. “Whatever bug’s up his ass, he isn’t going to let Vega come out of this upright.”

“Do you know what his issue is? I mean, he’s usually a pro—nothing touches him. It’s not like him to gun for Vega of all people like that.” He sighed, shuddering slightly in his comfortable kimono. “If anything, I would have thought he’d be after you.” Another pause. “Was it that omega crack? Couldn’t be. When I saw him last month in Osaka he was a cool customer.”

Ken sighed. Ryu kept pacing as a person who might be a nurse or something came in to examine the fallen fighter. Finally all the people shook their heads and broke up, hauling Vega away. Without even a flicker on his scowl, Ryu picked up the small envelope that held his prize money and began to walk back through to the locker room. “I guess that’s my cue. See you around, E.”

“Yeah. Just do me a favor and help him fix whatever it is. I like a good fight, but that’s not it.”

The sumo wrestler hauled himself off the bench and went through the lockers. His assistant, Hiro—a nervous man with a thick brown mustache and a shock of white hair who seemed to burn off his calories in flitting around the large fighter and who had an appetite like a horse—had already collected his things and was standing by the back door of the field. Even his voice was a bit twitchy and nasal as he said, “Hard fight tonight, sir”

“Yeah, but at least I am walking out.”

“Mmmm, Vega,” Hiro nodded.

“I haven’t ever seen Ryu fight like that,” Honda grunted.

“He must be very angry, sir,” Hiro nodded, pulling out a huge bottle of ice cold water to hand to the other man. “I’ve never seen him fight like that either.”

“Yeah, wonder what got into him.” He shrugged. “But, hey, you aren’t here just to gawk at all the pretty boys.”

“No, sir. I have made reservations at the Sushi Boat three blocks away.”

“Harrumph. Just remember that.”

The assistant grinned. “Of course sir—it’s not like you can help being surrounded by such prime fighters.” He offered the larger man a lopsided smile. “And I have eyes, sir.”

“Yeah—eyes for all the pretty fighters.”

“One cannot help being drawn to looking at them.” Hiro shrugged with a catty smirk. “And if they choose to have their bodies out on display like that, then who am I to refuse to look at that beauty?”

“Ugh—now you sound like Vega.” They laughed as they got to the back parking lot doors. “We eat and then we go to the onsen.”

“Of course, sir.”

The assistant opened the door to let the sumo come through into the crisp night air. Honda sighed in appreciation and nodded to him. “Well, I’m hungry. Can’t wait for something to—!”

The tiny frame seemed to bounce off his belly. He looked down, taking in the dirty kimono and matted hair that looked brown or gray with all the dirt and grime. He was about to shrug it off as a homeless boy when he saw her swollen belly. There were bruises all up and down her arms and hands. She would be attractive if she was cleaned up, in clean clothes and didn’t have that ridiculous chain of bells tangled around her neck.

“I’m sorry...err, miss?” he grunted.

She looked up at him with wary green eyes and then at his assistant who was trying to block her from darting inside the building around him. Finally she looked up at him again. “Is...? Where is Ryu?”

“Well, miss—you come straight to the point, don’t you?” he laughed. She flushed and glanced around nervously, wringing her hands and tears filling her green eyes. “No, I don’t think that Ryu is still here.”

Hiro added, “I think he left after defeating Vega, sir.”

“Well, I’m afraid you missed him.” He offered her a polite bow. “If you like, I’ll tell him how much you hated missing him the next time I see him. So what’s your name?”

“Hana.” She collapsed to her knees with a desperate sound. “He...he called me Hana.”

He sighed indulgently. “And I’m Edmond Honda, but all my friends call me E.” He gestured to Hiro who began to shuffle around the big bag. “Why don’t we get your alpha’s number—?”

Hana shook her head sadly. “I.... Just tell him—.”

Akuma’s oily voice interrupted her as he slowly walked up to them. “Now, omega, why are you bothering him?” His heavy hand clamped down on her shoulder in a white knuckled grip that made her shriek. “Do I have to remind you of your manners?” She shook her head wildly, sobbing. He gave the sumo wrestler a frigid smirk and his words dripped poison despite their artificially indulgent cadence. “Forgive her—she is absolutely obsessed with Ryu.”

Edmond frowned, knowing instinctively something was off, but not knowing what. “I suppose that could be why lots of people don’t bring their omegas to a fight.”

“Of course. My apologies.” He smiled wickedly in a way to make blood run cold. “I did in fact come to see Ryu fight.”

“You a fan of Ryu’s too?” He shrugged in a friendly way. “I don’t mind talking to people who have good taste in fighters, even if they don’t choose me. And I can pass on your information—.”

“I will have to say ‘no’. All of this has been too much excitement for her,” the cold man smirked.

Honda raised an eyebrow. “And the pups.”

There was a small pause and then the flame haired man agreed, his smile even wider. “And the pups.” He offered a small bow. “Thank for you detaining her. I was worried that I had lost her for a moment. I am far too indulgent of her.” His hand clamped harder and even Honda and Hiro flinched to see it. The omega crumpled and scrambled up with a clang of bells. “Come now, omega. We’ve seen the fights and it is time to go home.”

“Hey! Don’t you want to leave your name or something?” Honda shouted and gestured towards Hiro nervously. “I could maybe tell you about the next fight—!” The sumo and his assistant watched the massive alpha drug the little omega off. “And take that chain off her neck before it goes septic or something.”

They stood there for a few moments, but there was silence and chilly fog as the only answer. Hiro shivered. “He was a strange one, to be sure, sir.”

Edmond looked down at the other man. “Should we have done something else?”

“I-I-I...don’t know sir.” He shuddered. “We’re not supposed to get between an alpha and a claimed omega.”

“But somehow I don’t think—,” the larger man sighed. “I think that we should do something, but I don’t know what.”

“I....” Hiro sighed and looked at his phone. “I guess...? Well, we should go, sir. We don’t want to be late for dinner.”

“I suppose....” They walked to the large SUV. “But maybe I should have done something different.” Hiro put his bag and things in the trunk as the sumo wrestler climbed inside. When they were driving down the road, he sighed. “You know, I don’t even know how to contact Ryu. Do you?”

“No, sir.” A thoughtful pause. “Who would he meet or stay with?”

“I thought that was your job—to watch all the pretty fighters,” Honda smirked. He sighed thoughtfully and fiddled with his oversized phone. “Maybe Ken will know something.”

“And do you have Ken Masters’ number?”

“Don’t you?” Honda chuckled, his laugh filling the car as Hiro shook his head. “But he’s all over the web. If nothing else, I’ll follow his feed and totally ruin his reputation by asking in front of his fans.”


	23. Chapter 23

Ryu didn’t know what else to do. Even pounding Vega’s face into ruins didn’t seem to make him feel better for more than the minute he thought of Marta’s face. Then he felt bitterly and completely lost because every second he didn’t know where Hana was was another second that he was hollowed out from the inside.

He stopped at Ken’s apartment long enough to grab his things. Ken and Eliza were kind to offer him a place to stay, but he couldn’t stay there. It was hard enough to stay anywhere, knowing that he was no closer to finding Hana, but to see how Eliza went to Ken and cooed and spoiled him and patched him up made his blood burn.

So he grabbed his bag. He showered and changed into his sweatpants and a tight t-shirt and thanked them. Whatever they said, it felt hollow and cold and he couldn’t hear any of it. He thanked them again, bowing low and bumping fists with his best friend.

“Where are you headed off to now?” Ken asked.

“I don’t know,” Ryu shrugged. “I’m going to head to the dojo to make sure that the wall is fixed, I guess.”

Without thinking, Ken nodded and said, “Yeah, you don’t want the dojo to get too cold.”

Ryu scowled, looking up. What did he care if the dojo was cold? What did it matter if he even went to the dojo if she wasn’t there? Then he saw Eliza, standing there and shaking like a leaf and his anger melted away. “Sure, Ken.”

Ken saw his friend slump and it looked for a moment like he was about to fall over. “Hey...one more night here won’t hurt you? We haven’t even toasted your win.” Ryu gave him a haunted look and growled. “Or not.... Just one more night won’t hurt and then you can catch a ride with the early morning traffic.”

Ryu sighed. “And where are you going to go?”

“Back home to Seattle.” Ken sighed heavily. “I need to attend the next board meeting and there’s some stuff to settle before the movie deal.”

“Good luck with that,” Ryu grunted, nodding at Eliza. “And...keep her happy and safe, Ken.”

Ken grinned. “I’ll walk you out.” The phone rang and Eliza waved slightly and answered it. They walked down the hallway together and stood at the door to the apartment building. “Look, Ryu. Everything is winding down here—you sure you’re okay? It’s a hell of a thing that you had to find Master Gouken like that and then to lose Hana.” He held out a set of keys. “This place is always open to you. I keep it to have somewhere to crash when I take care of the operations here and—.”

“Thank you—but no.” Ryu sighed. “I’m going to find another fight. Keep training.”

“And you still need a place to sleep. Food to eat.”

“I am already in debt to you.” He looked at the passing traffic. “And I will be even further in debt to you if I don’t have the money for Hana’s return.”

“That’s nothing,” Ken insisted, holding out the keys with a little jingle. “This place is empty most of the time and it doesn’t cost anything for you to stay here. It would even help to keep burglars and stuff away.”

Ryu felt his rage boil up. “I won’t get stronger being spoiled like this.”

Ken snapped back, “And you won’t get stronger killing yourself by refusing anything anyone offers to help.”

Ryu felt his anger and aggression fill him. His hair practically crackled and he felt his fists clench. His voice grew to a roar. “What do you think I should do?! Hana is out there somewhere with Akuma probably pounding on her and she may be sleeping out in the rain or have no food or clean water. Akuma may kill her. The pups may already be dead. The only chance that I even have is to be ready for the tournament in Hokkaido.”

Ken backpedaled, holding his hands up as Ryu whipped to face him. “Hey...Ryu. I’m sorry!”

Without a word—without even seeming to recognize his friend—Ryu went a crouch, his features frozen in a snarl. He cupped his hands and there was an icy gathering of purple fire and sparks. His eyes burned and he felt power crawl through him like it was his whole being.

“Ryu!” Ken scrambled back, his fists up automatically and dropping into a guarded stance. “Ryu snap out of it.”

After a breathless, heady moment Ryu dropped his fists. “I’m sorry, Ken.” His head pounded in a throbbing ache. “Look man, I’m sorry. I’m just.... Hell, I don’t know anymore. I just think about Hana being out in the cold and I’m so angry that I want to just start killing until I find her.”

Ken barely took a breath. “Hell. Dude—I know I’m probably the last person that you want to hear from, but you’re not going to do her any favors if you drop dead. You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. Now you’re talking about wandering around killing people. Are you even listening to yourself?”

Ryu picked up his bag. “I know that she’s out there.”

“But your one chance is Hokkaido, right? What did Master Gouken say—that you should train, you should rest and you should eat well, right? That you can’t do one and not the others, right?” He stayed out of arm’s reach, but at least his friend was marginally listening to him. “So you intend to go to Hokkaido only training? No rest? No food? Nothing? That’s your big plan to defeat Akuma?”

“No!”

“Then do it right,” Ken pleaded. He scooted forward and picked up the keys. “If you’re so uptight about paying me back, then train at my gyms. Maybe offer some classes. The one here isn’t doing bad, but my other locations—Osaka, Okinawa, Sapporo, Fukushima—they could use some star power to help them out.”

Ryu sighed with a scowl. “I’ll...think about it.”

“Good.” Ken grinned. “So think about this and do it right, okay? I don’t care if you stay in Tokyo or if you go back to the dojo, but just don’t kill yourself getting there.”

He nodded. “Look—I know I’m a mess right now.” He stared out at the rushing traffic. “I can’t take the idea that Hana is out there like that.” He looked down at his empty fist. “Thanks...for everything.”

“You sure? You sure you’re okay?” Ken sighed as Ryu seemed to ignore him. “Give me a call if I can help. And think about my offer, huh?”

“Sure. Thanks again.” He began walking down the sidewalk. “See you, around, Ken.”

Ken nodded, watching him disappear in the crowd. That was not his friend just now—it was someone else driven mad with grief. There had been so much grief, so much loss—it was no wonder his friend was struggling.

His phone rang in his pocket. He dug it out and looked at the number. “Hey, E! What’s happening? Has Hiro finally found someone else to dote on and left you?”

Edmond’s voice was gruff and grunted over the line. “Hey, Ken...is Ryu anywhere around?”

“Ryu? No—he just left. Why?”

“Well, you are probably going to think that I’m crazy, but I need to talk to him.”

Ken ran his fingers through his long hair and puffed out a breath. “Uhh...not right now you don’t.”

“Yes, I do!”

Ken shook his head. “Trust me. You do not want to be anywhere near him right now.”

“And I’m telling you that I....” Edmond cursed. “Look, something weird just happened. I want to tell him to watch his back.”

Ken frowned and asked, “Where are you, E? I’ll meet you.”

“I’m at the Sushi Boat. They have a ‘Honda Platter’ of sushi and sashimi and I come in to take pictures—.”

“And to eat!” Ken laughed. “Sure—let me tell Eliza and I’ll meet you there.”

“Who do you think gave me your number? I found your website first and figured that it was important enough to send you a few emails—.” Ken choked to look at his screen and it said, ‘29 Unanswered Emails’. “—and finally your techno-master realized that I was the Edmond Honda and gave me your number. Honestly—since when do I need to send 29 emails to reach you?”

“Okay—then I’m there.”

The Sushi Boat was a higher-end place with a neon sign showing a rocking boat with a smiling white cat waving from it. There was a large sign showing a smiling Edmond sitting at a table with a blue tablecloth on it and a large boat of sushi and sashimi in colorful collections. The outside was festooned with scarlet and gold—lanterns, fairy lights, and tiny scrolls. Going inside, he was vaguely amused to see a line of people with cameras lining up to sit next to him and take pictures.

“Ken!” E grinned. “Would you take a seat?”

“Oh, Ken Masters! Can we take a picture?” someone shouted, whipping out their camera. “How about the two of you?”

“Come on, Ken!” The sumo slid over slightly. “Take some pics.”

Ken grinned and took a seat next to him. “Only if I get some for my site.”

“Cross link with mine and you have a deal!” He put a meaty arm around the American. “So smile!”

A hundred pictures later, the fans left with squeals of delight and the two fighters were allowed to sit at the table. Hiro hovered around, getting the last of the fans out the door and casually winking at one or two of them. One of the last boys with a choppy haircut of purple and blue blew him a kiss as he left, which made Hiro blush. Finally, things were quiet.

“So, what did you need to talk to Ryu about, E?”

Honda picked up a bite of salmon roe roll. “Mmm...yes. So this weird thing happened after the fight.”

“What kind of weird thing, E?” Ken asked, picking up a piece of dragon roll. “Is this a game of yours or something?”

Honda waved at Hiro, who sat down next to Ken and picked up a pair of chopsticks. The smaller man calmly took a small ceramic bowl and filled it with soy sauce. Scooping up a huge pile of wasabi, he mixed it with the soy.

“Hey, take it easy, Hiro!” Honda laughed. “You’re going to burn yourself up like that.”

“I like it hot, sir.”

“It’s your funeral,” Ken shrugged. “Just don’t breathe fire on me.”

E smirked. “He does that all the time.”

“It does get the pretty boys talking to me, sir.” He winked at Ken and then calmly began nibbling a colorful roll. “It works all the time.”

“Quit flirting, Hiro. He’s claimed.” E nodded again with a wolffish grin. “So, like I was telling you—there was this weird thing. After the fight, we were leaving and this...uhh....”

“Omega, sir.”

“Comes up asking for Ryu,” Honda nodded, snagging a second roll. “She’s just a mess, though.”

Ken dropped his bite, the soy splashing everywhere. “You...saw her? What she...like...?”

Hiro spoke up calmly. “She was approximately 66 American inches and seemed to weigh about 160 pounds. She had green eyes—.”

“Sounds promising,” Ken nodded. “Did she have auburn hair?”

Honda spoke up with an amused smile. “So she did know Ryu. Who knew?”

Hiro shrugged. “It was impossible to tell since she was filthy. She had a chain of bells around her neck. And she was pregnant.”

“Fuck—you saw Hana?!” Ken cursed, fumbling to take out his phone. “Hell, I need to get a hold of Ryu.”

The sumo snorted in amusement. “She said she needed to get to him. Then, this big guy—.”

Hiro picked up a piece of shrimp sashimi. “Huge, sir.”

“—comes up and grabs her and hauls her away. Says all the excitement is bad for her and drags her off.” He snagged up another roll. “I’d never seen anything like him.”

Ken dialed furiously. The phone rang twice and went straight to the voicemail. “Ryu, you have to give me a call. Or give E a call. Akuma was at the fight with Hana. She got to Honda and tried to get a hold of you. Dude—give one of us a call.”

The wrestler chuckled. “So you finally drug him into this century and he has a phone?” At Ken’s worried nod, he snorted, “It’s about time.”

“If he checks his phone. If he keeps it charged. If he....” Ken slammed his fist on the table, almost toppling the glasses of water and splashing soy sauce everywhere. “Dammit. I hope that he’s listening.”

Hiro nodded, “If he’s lost her, he might keep his phone on to receive alerts from the shelters.”

Ken nodded and tossed a few bills on the table. “Thanks for reaching out, E.”

“No problem—we Japanese fighters have to stick together.” He gulped down some water. “So who is she?”

“You’re never gonna believe this,” Ken smirked anxiously. “She’s Ryu’s omega.”

“Ryu? Has an omega?” He laughed. “When did this happen?”

“About five months ago she was part of the prize in a fight. What no one told us was that she was about in heat, too.”

“Whoa! So Ryu...and her?!” The sumo flushed and looked shocked and proud and bemused. “And I suppose...? Hell, those were his pups, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, sounds like it.” He scowled, staring at his phone and willing it to ring. “Was Akuma with her?”

Hiro answered blandly. “Tall, ruddy skinned, scruffy red hair pulled in a top-knot man-bun on his head and a dark ghi with a large, red character on the back with large prayer beads around his neck.” He looked up with a smirk to see Ken nodding. “No, haven’t seen him.” Ken’s face fell as he groaned. “I was just kidding. He was with Hana and hauled her off.”

“Which way?”

Edmond looked expectantly at his assistant. Hiro set down his chopsticks and shook his head. “They went down the block from the back parking lot—southeast—but the fog was too thick.” He hung his head. “I...apologize.”

Honda reached out and patted his assistant’s hand. “It’s okay. You did good.”

“Yeah...thanks, Hiro.” He puffed out an impatient breath. “It’s honestly the best news I’ve had all day.” He dialed Ryu’s number again and ended the call when it went to voicemail again. “And if I could get a hold of Ryu then it would be the best news he’s heard too.”

“He is really attached to her? He bonded with her?” Hiro said blandly.

Ken laughed. “I suppose so. Although I would have sworn she didn’t have a bond mark on her after the heat.” He shrugged, waving at a waitress and ordering some sake. “But she bonded with him in a big way.” The waitress brought out the tokkuri and three tiny cups. “She didn’t know we were sparring for fun and she saw me tag him.” He flushed. “She came out blasting—threw a rock at me and stood toe-to-toe with me in front of Ryu.”

Hiro nodded slowly and Edmond burst into laughter. “And she was going to really go against you? Did Ryu—?”

“Ryu went and scolded her and she was all but shaking as we came to Japan. We went to see...to see Master Gouken. What I think happened is he left her there and went training. You know how he is—traveling and going from fight to fight. When he went back to the dojo—Master Gouken was dead and she was gone.” Ken sighed, drinking the sake Hiro poured for him. “And ever since then, he’s been tearing himself to pieces.”


	24. Chapter 24

Hana sat in the cement storage unit that Akuma put her in. She had a filthy mattress pad in the back and a dish of water. There was a covered drain in the middle of the space. As long as she was very still, then the chain of bells didn’t scrape her raw skin too much. Her hands were dirty and her fingers scraped raw from where she had tried to pull on the metal door. Once a day, the beast would slide in a new pan of water and a small pan of food and every day she would try to get her fingers under the door before he slammed it.

And every day she failed. She had livid bruises up and down her arms and over her hands trying, but she didn’t want to give up. Unfortunately, he was far faster than her, kicking or stomping her hands. Only when he nearly slammed the door on her did she stop.

She heard people occasionally passing on the other side of the door. One time, she pounded the metal door, shouting for them to let her out because even a shelter would be better than this. She shouted over and over, her voice hoarse and desperate. They answered, shouting that they would get her out and she wept her thanks. Then she heard the heavy steps of Akuma, thudding down the corridor. He laughed and she shivered at the cold sound. Then the screaming started and when it ended, she heard nothing else.

It was cold and seemed to be getting colder. During the day, there was light around the rolling metal door and her bare cell was in a dim twilight. During the night, the wind whipped underneath the door and she was huddled in the back. She tried to walk some to force her blood into her veins, but the cold kept driving her to huddle as far as she could from the door. Either way the time went slowly and the pups pushed more and more.

The sumo wrestler and his friend had been kind and in their few words, she knew that Ryu was still alive. That was something to hold on to. Ryu was alive.

Please let him live. That single sentence was her whole prayer and had been for days. Please let him live. Please let him live.

The door rattled and rolled up. She blinked at the sudden light, her eyes watering as she tried to cover her eyes. Akuma stood there with a rough burlap bag over his shoulder. He smirked down at her and pulled out a battered canteen and tossed it to her. “Drink omega.” She pulled it close and opened it, sniffing it. “It’s water, omega. Drink it.”

Hana slowly drank the cool, fresh water. “What do you want?”

“We are going on a little trip. Somewhere a little more remote. You’d better get ready.”

“Where are we going?”

He said nothing, only handed her a plastic wrapped sandwich. She wolfed it down, starving too much to question it. Then he tied her wrists and wrapped her in an orange robe with a veil over her head. Then they set out along the highways.

Hana moaned, realizing that she looked like a Buddhist nun, traveling with a rather rugged looking person who might be mistaken for a holy man. It was the perfect disguise and many people simply smiled and nodded at them. One man in a pickup stopped and asked for their blessings and gave them a lift north.

Akuma nodded at her as they settled in the back of the truck. “Just keep quiet, omega, and maybe you will live long enough to see tomorrow.”

Her hands went to cover her belly and she gasped as one of the babies kicked. The cool air whipped around her. Desperately, she tried to open the canteen again but her fingers were numb and clumsy and finally the demonic man opened it for her.

“You’re no good to me dead, omega—not yet.” He grinned at her. “If it is any comfort to you, pulling you out of the nest was the best thing for him. He is far stronger now and will be even stronger for having almost found you and lost you again.

“You didn’t think that I actually was ignoring you during the fight, did you? All that thrashing and noise? That you just happened to be able to sneak through to the back parking lot? If not the sumo, it would have been someone else. Soon, word will get back to your precious Ryu that he almost found you. And his pain will be delicious—it will make him stronger and more fierce.”

“No,” she whimpered.

Akuma seemed to be almost purring in satisfaction, watching her and the scenery. “Yes, and his ferocity will know no bounds if he thinks he has even a chance of finding you or the pups and then fails. Maybe he’s even feeling it now—and it will make him turn even more towards the dark side of his power—the Satsui no Hado.”

She whimpered, curling against the chilly air. “Please don’t hurt my babies.”

He gave a low laugh. “Now that depends on you. If you please me, maybe I will let your pups live.” He grinned, settling down in the truck bed. “One of them has a fighter’s spirit—a fierce and powerful spirit from the father. Maybe I will even take that one in and do some training of my own.” He waved at the road whizzing beneath them. “Or you can take your chances and jump now. Your choice. Either way, we let Ryu think you’re alive right up until it is time for me to face him. And kill him.”

Hana curled up in a tight ball against the wind. Miles zoomed by and finally, she had to get next to him for warmth. The alpha chuckled and didn’t protest or shove her away, and she took that as permission. Marginally warm, she looked blankly at the signs beside the road, pretending that she was going to go somewhere magical and safe. It was more than an escape, it was a retreat to avoid the thought that she was sitting next to death.

They took the ferry and hitchhiked further up to the mountains of Hokkaido. Somehow he knew of a cabin in the mountains she could barely see and he put her to cleaning immediately. It was nothing new—cleaning and cooking—but it was far warmer and more inviting than in the storage area. Immediately, he claimed the full sized bed in one corner. Aside from the few bits of forgotten clothing from whoever owned the cabin, there was a small twin bed against the opposite wall for her to sleep in and a few quilts to wrap in. There was running water so that she could wash and bathe and wash her hair. There was even a pair of furry slippers that were close enough to her size so that her feet were cozy.

Hana slaved to get the cabin clean and warm. The irori—the sunken firepit in the middle of the cabin with the chimney just over it—had an iron kettle on a hook and a heavy iron stand to hold the two pots over the flames. Akuma snorted as she struggled to get the fire started, “You are too weak, omega.”

Hana glanced nervously over at him as he sat cross-legged by the pit. “I...I’m just cold.”

“So it seems,” he grunted. “Very well—light your fire and keep warm if you have to.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “The pups are draining your warmth, aren’t they?” She shrugged slowly. “And how many do you have?”

“Two—one is a boy.” She shrugged as she added some small twigs and then branches to the fire. “The other...we couldn’t tell.”

“And Gouken?”

“He was.... I was staying with him until Ryu came back.”

He grinned at the tears in her eyes. “And where was your Ryu?”

She sighed and wiped her tears away. “He was...training. Master Gouken was....” Her voice broke and she sobbed with her fist in her mouth as the image of his broken body filled her mind. “He was...oh, God.”

“Do not weep over him—his corrupted teachings will be gone and the art will again be pure.” He shrugged. “I will at last have a challenge and then I will take the strong pup to train.”

Hana gaped at him. “My...my pups. My children will...need—.”

“Yes, yes, they will need you for a bit if I decide to take them.” Akuma stretched with an impatient scowl, cracking his joints and grinning as she flinched with every pop. “But you may find I am patient if the reward is worthy.” He snapped with his hand in the air. “Now, I hunger.”

Hana fixed rice and beans, boiling them with traditional seasonings. There was a five pound bag of dried rice and a big bag of dried red beans. There was a collection of cans of fruits and vegetables, a can of salt, a small bottle of ground pepper, another small bottle of hot red pepper flakes. A thick braid of garlic cloves and another of onions hung from the walls.

He nodded as she served him and he gave her a portion. “I suppose that you are a good enough cook.” She ate silently, relishing the warm food. “I will go out and see if there is any game to be had. In the meantime, you should get cleaned up.”

She couldn’t help but grin. A warm bath—even in that beat up tub in the corner of the cabin—sounded like such a treat. She had found an oversized sweatshirt and pants as she had cleaned up, so she would be clean and warm for the first time in weeks. She shivered in pleasure at the thought as she washed the dishes and stacked them again.

She filled up the tub with warm water and peeled off the dirty, worn remains of the kimono the Master Gouken had given her. The water felt like heaven as it began peeling grime off her skin and then soap? The bar of soap was a blessing. He sat beside the fireplace, smirking at her. “I do believe that this bath means far more to you than anything else, omega.”

She flushed, looking up at him from the steaming tub. He didn’t trust her to even bathe by herself, sitting nearby thoughtfully as she rinsed the last of the grime and dust out of her hair. Last, she tried to get the grime out from under the crude chain of bells at her neck. She hissed as the plain soap touched the raw skin underneath the links, trying to ignore the red-eyed stare.

“Come out now, omega. Let me see you properly.”

She looked up at him with a mournful expression, but stood up and stepped out of the tub. He dried her off with one of the two towels, one meaty hand on her shoulder to turn her around. Poking her belly, he nodded slowly. “The pups continue to grow stronger. The fighting spirit is still there.” He backed up, nodding. “I am satisfied.”

He looked at her and went to the door. “Do not leave your new nest, omega. Or I will be very unhappy with you.”

She shivered and pulled on the spare clothes. He stepped out and she heard some pounding before he came back inside. Opening the door a little, he showed her the padlock catch and loop. “Just a little precaution so that my bait does not wiggle off my hook.” He grinned at her and pointed out to the wilderness beyond. “But I do not think you’ll get far—especially when the snow sets in.”

She looked again to the forest. The darkening sky made the tall pine trees seem ominous. The night forest sounds filled the tiny cabin. He smirked and she fell back as a distant wolf howled. “Good night, omega. When I’m done training in the morning, I’ll be back.”

Hana wanted to sing as he locked the door. She paced a bit, almost afraid he was going to simply appear back inside, but there was only silence. At last she felt soothed enough that she could sleep. Sleep came easily and deeply throughout the night. At some point, there was a thump on the roof, but Hana barely stirred. She only rolled over and curled on her bunk to go back to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Ryu stared at the wall of the dojo. It would take time to repair the gates, but the wall was fixed. The tatami mats had been replaced and the floor beneath them cleaned. He had gotten on his knees and scrubbed the bare wood floor. It hadn’t been easy, but the room had been cleaned and the place blessed by the ancient priest from the village downhill.

The dojo was fixed, but not whole.

There was a huge missing part of the dojo and that part was Master Gouken. The hallways were strangely silent without his laugh and his big voice filling them. The training yard was empty and cold. The rooms were just barren. Even the careful notebooks that Master Gouken had written in seemed cold and empty without him.

Even worse was the small cottage. The few clothes she had were washed and dried and neatly folded in the cabinet under the bench. Master Gouken had given her his mate’s kimono and obi collection and Ryu found two of kimono and three obi neatly folded among the clothes he had given her. The sheets were folded and put away and the futon stowed. Her two postcards were on the table. Her small sewing basket was where she had left it on top of an obi she was mending. Every time that he went to the cottage, a place inside him that he could not name ached even more and made him more furious because there was one other missing part.

Without a clear destination, he went down the mountain to the small village. He had grown up around here and everyone knew him. A few people asked how he was, greeting him and remembering Master Gouken. He nodded, murmured the right few respectful words, did the right things and all he could feel was hollowness inside.

That wasn’t entirely true. It wasn’t hollowness he was feeling—at least, not precisely. It was the painful scraping feeling of having his insides scooped out with a dull spoon and then all of him filled with anger and bitterness.

He passed the shoe salesman’s hut and he glared at the wire racks of shoes. Hana had been here and he had almost lost her right here. It shouldn’t eat at him like this, but it did. Another woman passed, and he saw the omega payment card come out or her worn wallet as she brushed past him to pick up a pair of small shoes for a child.

The shoe salesman grunted sourly as he came forward and took her card at arm’s length so she didn’t have to come into the small building. He ran it through the machine and shook his head. “Not today.”

She sighed and looked at the shoes sadly. Putting them back on the rack, she took her card back. “I...I guess I’ll try again tomorrow.”

“I’m not saving them for you, you know.” He scowled at her. “If someone else comes to buy them, I’m selling them.”

She nodded and turned away with a heavy slump of depression. Ryu sighed and picked up the shoes and pulled out some money. Dropping them on the counter, he handed over the bills. “Here...give her the shoes.”

The shopkeeper took one look at him, scowled as he obviously remembered the fighter, and then nodded. “All right—if you say so.”

Ryu picked up the shoes and stepped outside to give them to her. “Here.”

“Th-th-thank you,” she flushed and stammered. She clutched them to her chest. “My alpha just hasn’t approved the purchase yet.”

“Forget it.” He put the change the shopkeeper gave him in his wallet and walked away. “Just....” Hell, he didn’t know what else to say to her. She stared up at him with a shocked look on her face. “Hope you have a good day.”

She nodded and bolted away. He sighed again, wondering how many times she had tried to buy the shoes and been turned away. How many times had Hana gone through this same dance—trying to purchase something only to be rejected. Idly, he pulled out his cell phone. Of course it was dead. He kept meaning to charge it, but never thought about it as he trained. Thankfully, there was a small place that sold small electronics a row over and he plugged in his phone there. The payment app was absolutely dead with no alerts of any kind. Not that he really expected it—he had found her card back at the dojo—but it was another small measure of hope that fizzled at the blank screen.

Finally he heard the small chime and saw an alert on the screen. It wasn’t the payment app, though. He had four unheard messages from Ken. He had to smirk at that. Undoubtedly, Ken had congratulated himself on dragging him into the modern century. Fumbling with the thing, he listened to them.

“Ryu, you have to give me a call. Or give E a call. Akuma was at the fight with Hana. She got to Honda and tried to get a hold of you. Dude—give one of us a call.”

He gasped in shock, his face going white. Hana had been there and he hadn’t even known. He hadn’t even known Akuma was there—just concentrated entirely on the fight and driving his fist into Vega’s thick skull. Everything flamed in him again. Snapping up the phone, he dialed Ken’s number.

Ken’s voice crackled a bit as he answered, “Masters Incorporated. Ken speaking.”

“Ken—you said to call.”

“Ryu! It’s been ages. I was starting to think I’d never see you again. Look, have you talked to E?” He puffed out a breath. “Hell, you probably only now got my message. I gotta get you on a schedule for charging.”

He impatiently snarled, “Ken—what about Hana?”

“According to E, she went to the back parking lot and bumped into him. Then Akuma grabbed her and took her off.” His harsh breath crackled over the line. “I don’t know if there’s more than that, but he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even know you had an omega, so don’t be mad at him.”

Ryu growled, his hands in fists. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. I can hear it.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah—sure. And I’m a walrus.” Ken paused. “There hasn’t been anything from Hanzo or the shelters on my end. What about you?”

“Nothing.”

“Give him a call,” Ken advised. “I’m up to my eyeballs in the business and can’t come to Japan right now, but it wouldn’t hurt to check in with him again.”

“I’ll drop in as I get to Hokkaido.”

“I would ask what’s in Hokkaido but I’d guess that you’re going to go out and climb trails and train.” Ken puffed out a breath. “Hit Sapporo in the meantime, huh?”

“Aside from the fight, what’s in Sapporo?”

“New gym. The grand opening is in a few weeks, but they could use a few appearances to build the rep.”

Ryu rolled his eyes. “If I’m in the area. Maybe.”

“Talk to E, too, okay?”

Ryu growled, hearing a small electronic beep and a tinny voice echoed in his ear. “Thank you for choosing PhoneStar Prepaid Service. This warning is to inform you that you have five minutes of talk time left. Please see you local PhoneStar representative to buy more time and thank you for choosing PhoneStar—Prepaid Cellular that Works for you.”

“I don’t have a lot of time on the phone left. I’ll call E when I get it figured out. In the meantime, I’m going to get my gear and head to Sapporo.”

“Sweet—you’re finally going to give me my guest appearance?”

“Maybe—the tournament is there.”

“Figures. I don’t know how Hana put up with you.” Ryu forced a laugh at his friends teasing, and Ken continued. “There’s just one more thing.”

“What?”

“When you get recharged, give me a call back. Uhh...Eliza....”

Ryu felt a rush of panic. “What?! Is Eliza okay?”

“Chill man. She’s the same as always—smart and sassy. But she’s starting to talk about pups. Man, I don’t know. So, if you happen to get some time, tell me about yours, okay? I don’t want to go into this blind.”

Ryu nodded sadly. “I’ll...get recharged soon.”

“Great. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“I will. And...Ken?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks—for everything.”

“Anything for my best friend.”

*******************************

Ryu gathered his gear in his bag. Thoughtfully, he put a few of Master Gouken’s notebooks in there, promising himself that he would read them on the way. Without another stop, Ryu hitchhiked to the shelter. It was the same as he remembered and he walked in. Hanzo came out to greet him almost as soon as he came in.

“Ryu! I had not expected to see you.” He offered a respectful bow. “We have not heard anything about your Hana, unfortunately.”

Ryu bowed in return. “I...actually wanted to see if you still had Marta.”

“Marta?!” Hanzo’s eyes widened in surprise. “But...I thought—?” He sighed. “Well, she will be pleased.” He gestured towards the door. “She has chafed at being confined in the back and will undoubtedly welcome your adoption.”

“What?!”

Hanzo paused to pick up the obligatory box of fruit—a box of pineapple chunks this time. “That is not why you’re here?”

Ryu flushed. “I can’t find Hana, but I did want to give Marta a message before I left for Sapporo.”

Hanzo smirked in his curiosity. “This I cannot wait to hear.” He went to the door and rang the small bell. “Come here, Marta.”

Marta rolled on her mat, stroking her lush curves idly. Her smile turned predatory as she saw Ryu watching her. “Well, hello, alpha.”

Ryu nodded at her, relieved to see that her bruises had faded. She was very pretty now that she seemed to have mostly healed up. “Hello, Marta.”

She grinned and came up to kneel in front of the door. Slowly, she opened her mouth and lapped at the treat Hanzo held through the door, licking it slowly with her eyes on Ryu. With a practiced swish of her hips, she bit lightly into the fruit and then went to kneel in front of him. She bit into it just enough that a trickle of juice dripped from her bottom lip. Her breasts heaved theatrically and she pushed her fingers out of the cage.

“Marta,” Ryu sighed. “I came only to visit.”

She gulped the yellow pineapple with a toss of her head. Her fingers wiped up the juice and she sucked on them with a gleeful smile on her lips. “But I am so happy to see you, alpha.” She pushed her hand through the chain link door and ran her fingers over his clothes. “So, very happy to see you.”

Ryu took a step back and knelt to look her in the eyes. “I stopped by to tell you to not worry about Vega.”

That did finally sink in. She shuddered and backed up a little. “W-w-what do you mean?” Marta pulled back, looking around nervously, and cringed further back. “I...I...I—.” Glancing at Hanzo anxiously, she pulled away and crawled backwards. “I don’t.... I can’t—. He’s going to kill my pups.”

Ryu nodded. “He’s not going to be going anywhere for a while.” Marta stared at him with a white face. “He going to be police custody—after he gets out of the hospital. He may even be there right now. Either way, you will not be seeing him again.” Marta looked at him with a suddenly hopeful expression. “After I defeated him, I went to the police so that they could take care of him. I don’t think you need to worry about seeing him anymore.”

“Th-th-thank you, alpha.”

He nodded and stood up. Glancing at Hanzo, he walked slowly away. Hanzo nodded at her with a slight grin and followed him out. As soon as they were in one of the empty hallways, he whispered, “That was kind of you.”

“I...I didn’t do it for her,” Ryu grunted angrily. “And it could have cost me dearly.”

Hanzo cocked his head, looking aside at the other man’s unexpected bitterness. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that while I was talking to the police, Akuma had my Hana and got away.” Ryu glanced angrily at the other man. “I was so close and had no idea.”

“But you know who took her? Could the police help?”

“No—they would have no chance.” Ryu shrugged. “But he wants me to fight him at the street fight in Sapporo. He should have Hana there.”

“I can alert the shelters in that area.” He shrugged slightly. “My brother perhaps can go with you and find something out. He is...gifted in that area.”

“I will do this alone,” Ryu growled. “I will defeat him.”

“As you wish. However, I will continue to keep an eye out and let you know if anything turns up.” He stopped and scratched his bearded chin thoughtfully. “And, that was kind of you. She will not readily admit it, but she has had nightmares about him. It has been hard for her.”

“I hope that she’s finally going to be...happy.”

“She will be happiest when she can be adopted and when she can finally have a home of her own.” Hanzo sighed. “Are you sure that you...wouldn’t—?”

“No. Thank you.” His head dipped and his shoulders slumped. “It wouldn’t be safe. I can’t keep Hana safe...let alone anyone else.”

“Ryu....”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Ryu muttered sourly. Then he turned and walked out.

“Thank you,” Hanzo nodded towards his retreating back.

Ryu left the shelter and went back to the highway. The cars whizzed past as he began walking. A beat up truck did finally give him a lift to a welcome center of the next province. From there, a nice older man gave him a lift further up the highway. The miles whizzed past as it darkened towards the evening. He sort of slept under an overpass, looking at the stars as they twinkled without actually seeing them. The next morning, he found another ride up to the ferry to Hokkaido and the miles spun past as they always had.

The street sign read “Sapporo - 10 Km” as he was let out of his last ride. Picking up his bag, he waved to them and began walking. It was as good a place as any to try since none of his rides had seen a muscular alpha male with a dainty, pregnant omega. Or if they had, they weren’t talking about it.

He had long since gotten used to walking along the road when he saw a fox dart out from under a thick roadside bush. It had such a brilliant red coat that he was compelled to watch it as it slunk along the roadside ditch. With a sudden leap, it bounced on its paws and pounced on something. Ryu heard a growl and the crunch as the beast shook its head wildly. It turned to look at him with the street gray mouse in its jaws. A trickle of blood dripped from the limp mouse and hit the dust. The fox waved its tail and Ryu thought he saw the echo of Akuma’s bushy red hair.

Fury burned through him. The fox stared up at him, suddenly growling as his fur raised. Without another split second, it fled with its dinner in its jaws. Ryu growled and shouted at it, which made the bush shake and birds flee.

A car whizzed past, startling him. He glanced at the white compact as it shot down the road. The cold settled around him and he glanced up and down the road. Nothing stirred as he looked around. Not even birds were in the air and not even wildflowers were nodding. It was like he had stepped into a zone devoid of life. It was like he was the only one alive on this road. He kept walking down the road, waiting for another car, another ride. Was there anything on this road? Was he even going in the right direction? How could he tell? Was he even now on some afterlife where he would spend eternity going up and down roads trying to find the next place he was supposed to be.

Sapporo was another big city with big city lights and big city stink. He could easily find somewhere to lurk and there were always wide alleys and back streets where he could train. There was always a club looking for extra muscle or something. Even the rats raced back and forth frantically with somewhere to be.

The Masters Gym was in the middle of the city and was an elaborate two story affair of glass and steel that took up the end of a block. He took a look at it from the outside—watching the silhouettes of women on treadmills and cycles and men with heavy weights. On the second floor was a stick thin figure leading a dance class of some kind. A heavy canvas banner read “Grand Opening” behind the reception desk and the neatly uniformed men who manned it.

He kept walking, going farther and farther from the middle of the city and its hustle and bustle until he found a hostel that was cheap and asked him no questions. He dropped his bag in the room and went back out. The night still felt young and electric and he paced the streets, looking for any clue of Akuma or any possibility of a fight.

He would need some kind of temporary employment if he was going to be here for any long term. The fights were drying up mainly because anyone with any training knew better than to fight in the cold. He picked up an old newspaper, scanning for something to do that would bring in enough that he could live here until the fight. A new club wanted a bouncer. An agency wanted models. A company wanted movers. The new gym wanted instructors. A company wanted muscle for construction workers. Unfortunately, everything else wanted experience or a degree or both. The local community college wanted a physical education instructor, but wanted a degree and steady hours. A service wanted medical study volunteers but required a different blood type. He re-read the ads, looking for anything that would help as he plugged in his phone to charge.

Ryu slept finally, but only for three or four hours. He woke up ready to train, aching to pummel something. He wasn’t hungry—not really. He drank some water, washed his face. Pointless little rituals to try and make himself feel more human, rather than a killing machine. What was he except a fighter? What should he do if he couldn’t fight? 

Looking at the ads a third time didn’t provide him any new information. He finally called a number that promised top pay and flexible hours. A machine answered and he left his number. Then he sent a text to Ken, checking in and promising to go to the gym when he could.

He forced himself to go out, to find an alley and begin his katas. He needed flexibility and endurance, strength and precision. Akuma had everything already in place to get him to dance like a puppet. So there was no other choice but to defeat him.

After a few hours, he went to his phone. An unfamiliar number had dialed back and left a voicemail. After a frustrating hour touching buttons and trying to figure out the voicemail, he realized that not only had he failed to get the message out, but he had deleted it by accident. In desperation he finally hit the buttons until he thought he managed to call them back.

“Yeah...so this is the Executive Escorts Service. We have an opening for a job at 9:30 p.m. The request is for one of our best customers and we’re looking for...someone muscular. Could you send us a picture? Our client is very picky.”

“So what’s the job?”

“Our client wants to attend a few...events locally and is looking for someone who is able to handle themselves, you know? The fee is entry to the events and an hourly rate. So send the pic. And not too ugly in the face, huh?”

Ryu rolled his eyes. “Sure. I’ll get right on that.”

“Send it in the next 60 minutes and the gig is yours.” The man let out a grunt. “She’s already gone through all our regulars and we’re desperate for some fresh blood that might satisfy her.”

Ryu took the phone out to the first phone store at the first mall he came to and got some additional minutes. He needed to keep up with it to be sure he could get alerts if any of the shelters called. He finally got a hold of a group of co-eds in the mall food court to take a picture with the cursed phone and send it on.

Almost immediately the service called him back. “Hey, man. Is this really you?”

“Sure,” Ryu growled.

“Then you’re gonna get top rates. She’s picky, but she’ll definitely want you. First event is a club opening. You got something to wear? Or do we need to find you something? Never mind—meet me at the suit shop on 29th and Cherry Tree Street. It’s cheap and looks good enough that no one will notice the difference. You’re gonna get $150 American an hour, but no getting drunk or high. You drink on your own time.”

Ryu met with the guy and got two slacks and a shirt. It was stupid looking, but in a few hours, he looked vaguely respectable. That evening, he walked to the street corner and was met by a low, golden sports car. A tall woman with expertly bleached blonde hair and brilliantly purple eyes in a designer dress and a lot of jewelry looked him up and down and nodded. “And you really are that built. Nice. Come on and we’ll go.” 

She drove to a warehouse with tons of nice cars around it. He got out and opened her door for her. “I’m Trini, by the way.”

He nodded, glancing at the shadowy couples walking to the one door. A few of them nodded at Trini, smirking at her as they glanced at him. “Just ignore them, Ryu. This is...a rather exclusive club. All the latest thing and all that.”

“Okay,” he shrugged.

She laughed at him. “You brood too much. But, hey, I like that.” She laughed again and walked up next to him. “So why don’t we go in Tall, Dark and Brooding?”

The club was alive with lights and strobes and a raunchy music that throbbed in his ears. Trini gave him a drink of some kind and took up a flute. She smirked and leaned close, “You have no idea how hard it is for an alpha woman to relax. So, I come here...kind of networking and to blow off some steam.” She tossed back her drink and set the empty flute aside. “I run a few boutiques and a few other things. And the most successful omega exchange here in Sapporo.” She glanced up at him. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to see a real alpha male around here. There’s so many fakes, you know?”

He shrugged slightly as another woman came up to Trini. Trini gave her megawatt smile and gushed, “Darling! So nice to see you out and about again! And after that terrible divorce too.” 

The new woman air was almost impossible to to make out in the flashing lights except for her dark hair with the brilliant pink stripe that glowed in the black lights. Her blue latex bandage dress was tight around her overly thin body as she teetered on her platform heels. “Trini—where did you find this one?” She leaned in close and took a deep sniff. “You lucky bitch. Here I thought that I had seen all of the alphas in Sapporo and you have the best of them! Where did you find him?”

“Grew him in my basement,” Trini grinned tartly.

“Darling, you truly are a gem.” The other woman wobbled drunkenly on her heels. “I’ll bet all of your omegas are just panting after him. But that’s one sure way to be sure they stay in heat, isn’t it?”

Trini snorted, “You are the one with the whiny omega boy toy. Honestly—once you have the pups, then the idea is to get rid of him. Or sell him to me, darling. Omega men are hard to find, don’t you know?” She smirked up at Ryu. “Come along, dear—we’ll have to just catch up with Tammi over there.”

He spent three hours walking restlessly around with Trini, watching as she greeted everyone she knew. Finally, he was getting another drink when he saw a couple go out through a door behind the bar. Going back to Trini, he asked, “So what is the party behind the bar?”

Trini giggled, patting his chest possessively and grinning. “Oh that? That’s a sort of VIP area. Nasty business.” She shrugged. “But profitable. Tell you what, you make some time for me next weekend and I’ll see about getting us back there.”

“Look, it’s time I left,” Ryu grunted.

“Oh, honey, I’ll do it. Just make some time for little Trini next weekend, hmm?” She smirked. “Or is it me? Does an alpha female...scare you?” Her hand drifted from his belt to his ass drunkenly. “Or does it turn you on?”

He took a step away. With a stiff smirk, he shook his head. “Just to...ah.” Whatever she said was lost in a thud that shook the floor. He shrugged and looked around again. “Are you sure this is safe?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Trini shrugged. “But I am famished. How about we go to a restaurant and get something to eat?” She tugged his arm and nodding towards the door. “I do love a good duck.”

She drove him to some exclusive restaurant and ordered Peking duck and fried rice and heaven only knew what. Ryu ate some of it to be polite, but away from the throbbing of the club he only wanted to get further away from Trini. Every bite was still sawdust in his mouth.

“So could I count on seeing you next weekend?” Trini finally asked, dragging a fingertip around the rim of the tumbler. He had seen her get two refills of whatever peach color fizzy cocktail she had ordered. “We’ll go in the back if you like. Or maybe we’ll go out to the boat.” Trini lounged on her chair lazily, stroking her hair. “You know, we could really be a good couple....”

He shook his head with a stiff smirk. “You don’t play around.”

“Darling, if I played coy, I’d never get anything done.” She shrugged. “Besides, I can definitely use the help with my exchange. Everyone seems to think that because I’m a female, I have to be an easy mark or something. You know, I think we could have a lot of fun....”

He shook his head at her predatory smirk. “I have to be getting back.”

Trini waved and got the check. Driving him back, she was quiet right until she got him to the corner she where picked him up and gave him a card with her number on it. “Give me a call when you have some free time. The service is all right, but they take a cut of your rate.”

Ryu couldn’t wait to get to the hostel and peel off the stiff clothing. What a wreck! He took an immediate shower, rinsing the smokey smell off his skin and out of his hair. Snatching up his comfortable ghi he changed and went to the Masters Gym.

“Good evening, sir. I am Shinji.” chirped the little man at the counter. “Could I please see your membership card or would you like to apply for membership today?” Ryu pulled out the glittery card and the other man smiled widely. “Well, may I say it is good to see one of our gold level members. Welcome to our grand opening, sir.”

Shinji pulled out a slick pamphlet and unfolded it. “Here we have the bike and treadmill room. There are two infinity pools behind that room and across the hall is our two massage rooms which are available by appointment. Here is our classroom and on the back is the class schedule. Upstairs we have the heavy weight room and the second classroom and saunas. Both floors have locker rooms and changing rooms and for our gold members we can reserve lockers by the day. Snacks and smoothies are available at the bars at the classrooms and they are offering samples all this week. And the omega hours are from 2:00 to 3:30 each Monday and Wednesday in all our locations.”

Ryu nodded and took the pamphlet. He went immediately to the weight room, then to the treadmills and the to the weight room again. Everything burned as he kept going back and forth. The gym was so new it smelled slick and almost gummy with an overlay of cleaners and lemon. When the gym closed he slunk back to the hostel.

The service deposited his check and Trini was right—out of the promised $150 per hour, he ended up with only about $88 per hour after the taxes and the fees. It wasn’t bad money for what amounted to tolerating her pawing him and walking with her around the club. Four or five hours a night for two or three nights a week and he would have enough to live on.

The rest of the time, he was free to train until he dropped. He used the weights until his muscles burned, then went to the pool or the sauna or something. He went to the classroom when it was empty and did his katas and his exercises. Thankfully, the classroom walls were of frosted glass and he was a mere shadowy shape moving around rather that being a goldfish in a bowl.

Trini did call him the next weekend. “Hello, darling. Are you free this evening?”

“Uhh, sure,” he grunted, flicking his hand through his sweaty hair. “Give me thirty minutes.”

“Oh, darling, take forty-five. Perfection cannot be rushed.”

“Sure, Trini. Forty-five minutes.”

“I have those tickets that you wanted. Naughty boy,” she scolded playfully. “But we’ll go there. It’s sounds boring though—some kind of underground thing.” She snorted. “Why not just spend the night with me at my place?”

“Forty-five minutes,” he grunted.

He was there in thirty five with his gym bag over his shoulder. Trini pulled up in her sports car and grinned at him. “So are you taking me up on my offer?”

“No—just have to hit the gym afterwards.”

“A girl can hope, can’t she?” She giggled and hit a button to pop the trunk. “So are you ready for this?” He slid into the passenger seat and smirked at her cooly as she revved the engine and pulled into the highway traffic. “I’m told that things can get really...interesting back there.”

They went to the same dirty looking warehouse and into the same frantic nightclub party scene. Donna and a few others greeted Trini and smirked up at him. She took up a fizzy drink with a pick of fruit and a frilly umbrella in it and got him a whiskey on the rocks. Trini looked at him with a smirk and nodded, pulling out a pair of laser printed tickets.

“You ready, big man?” She handed him the ticket. “Are you sure that a pretty boy like you is ready for something this dirty? I mean—I won’t say anything if you just want to head back to my place.”

He looked down at her cooly. “I don’t think you know me.”

She smirked and patted his cheek. “Yeah, but it’d be a shame to damage such a beautifully rugged face.” They went to the bar and slid their tickets across it. The bartender looked at the tickets and nodded, pointing to the door. With a buzz, they went into the back. The lights were dimmed and they were jostled by other men in suits and women in dresses. “So let’s party, Ryu.”

Ryu took a deep breath and suddenly felt...completely at home. The smell of sweat and blood and sand was like a warm caress of home. In the rotating spotlights, he could see the sandy arena, the small doors for people to enter and exit. Feeling like he had found the only party in town, he shouldered Trini towards the front row.

“I’ve never been back here,” she shouted over the throbbing music. “Never seen anything like it. Have you?”

He smirked wickedly and downed the whiskey. For the first time in months, he felt...thrilled. He was warm and comfortable here and the smell of future bloodshed made him flush. Nothing felt like the adrenaline rush of being back in the ring. “Maybe.”

“Wicked you—you have done this before, haven’t you?” She laughed manically. “So what is supposed to happen?”

He looked at her, her playful smile and tight dress and the gemstones that sparkled around her neck. She was tall and strong for a female, but she was only a woman. She had never done this before? She was in for a treat if they were any good.

He hoped they were good. He prayed for them to be good. He lusted after a good fight. Next to Hana, that was what he wanted more than anything. The more he watched the ring, the more he wanted them to be good, excellent. It would feel amazing to feel the thrill of the fight again. God, it almost made his cock hurt to think of being in the ring again, rather than simply training in back alleys as he waited for Akuma.

Of course, if they were any good, he’d join up. Training was all well and good, but there was no training like another skilled fighter and putting theory into practice. He glanced around at the warehouse space, grinning to himself. He hadn’t thought that he’d find another fight with the cold weather and here was an apparent fountain of possibilities.

Unfortunately, this was a low level, backwater of a fight. No one of skill—not like him—and they only tagged each other lightly. While Trini giggled and cheered, he sighed in boredom after the first three matches and tapped her shoulder.

“This is boring,” he growled, annoyed at the waste of time.

She looked up at him in surprise. “What?”

“This is boring. The fighters are—at best—inept and predictable. The rounds are rigged most likely.” He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I could do better than that with my eyes shut.”

Trini clapped wildly and laughed as one of the wiry fighters rolled in the sand at their feet. “Oh really?” The fighter glanced up with a snarl on his face. She leaned over and shouted, “Loser! Get up and fight. My man says that he can do this better than you!”

He scowled up at Ryu. “Yeah—you prove it.”

Ryu grinned and smirked at him. Wicked excitement and electricity flowed through him. Solemnly, he replied, “You both together couldn’t handle me.”

The other fighter stalked up in time to hear Ryu. “Bastard! You sure are a pretty boy. Too bad your big mouth will get me to break your face.” The first one stood up shakily. “Come on in, you son of a bitch.”

Without a moment’s pause, Ryu kicked off his stiff shoes and toed off his socks. Pulling off his shirt, he vaulted over the wall and hit the sand. “You ready?”

The crowd went wild, cheering and roaring as the two others shuffled in the sand. Ryu smirked to hear Trini shouting and cheering for him. The two fighters shuffled and messed around, trying to figure out what to do with the man grinning at them in the ring. Finally one of them shouted and shot forward with a kick. Ryu spun and blocked, slamming him into the low wall. Grabbing his hair, Ryu jerked his head back.

“You are inept and predictable. No match for a fighter of any appreciable skill.” His body crackled with energy even though these two weren’t worth the effort to fight. The second one attacked him and he kicked that one away with ease, breaking the other man’s leg. That one went down and was hurriedly drug out of the arena. “Now, you are going—.”

“You can’t kill me, man! All my friends—.”

“Oh, you have friends?” Ryu snarled. “Why don’t you go get them? Bring them all out.” He tossed the other man aside and felt peculiarly pleased when three others joined them. He had wanted a fight, wanted to crack some skulls and break some bones and fill up all the aching places inside him. Hell, his heart was pounding hard in his chest as his ki gathered. “What are you going to do against me?”

Trini gasped and the crowd went silent as all four of them surrounded him. Ryu shrugged in an elegant way and dipped into his ready position. They jumped on him in pairs or trios and Ryu laughed as he fended them off. Even when one of them managed to get in a lucky shot, the adrenaline burn felt good and seeing them go down was a rush.

The crowd’s roaring throbbed in his veins. He slid nimbly to line them up and crouched. Sparks of purple collected into a ball. One of them shouted and he let go. Two of them went down and a third one leapt aside, tumbling to the ground. The crowd roared again as the one left standing whipped out a thin knife.

“Bastard! I’ll show you!”

Ryu snorted. “Show me what? That you’re not king of the ring anymore?”

The other fighter lunged, slashing wildly. Unfortunately, he had the good luck to nick Ryu’s skin. With a scowl and a cry, Ryu feinted left and rushed right to sweep his leg. The guy went down and Ryu let another Hadouken pummel the third fighter before swinging a punch. Ryu kicked the knife aside in a plume of sand. When he turned back, he saw that one of them had managed to get to his feet. One more time, he shouted and the last one flew backwards as the ball of purple slammed into him.

Distantly, he was half surprised that he felt nothing as he mowed them down. Instead of remorse or shame for the people he defeated, he felt a muted excitement and a sense of triumph. Then a budding humor at these incompetent buffoons calling themselves fighters. But the buzz didn’t last very long—it was fading even now as he kept waiting for someone else to come out.

He had to laugh as the last one tried to stand, but flopped down. It was so good to fight again. He looked around and saw them all groaning in the sand. They were helpless and broken now and the rush, the thrill, evaporated. All that was left was annoyance that this was all they could offer him. He went back to Trini, dusted off his feet and vaulted back over the wall.

Everyone made way for him, backing up and crowding away as he picked up his discarded clothes. Trini smiled up at him with those glistening white teeth and that expression of predatory pride. His eyes burned as he glared at her. With a snarl and a snap of his teeth, he jerked his hand and she came next to him.

“We’re getting out of here,” he snapped. “Come along.”

Trini took one look at his scowl and didn’t argue, just nodded and walked next to him as he stalked out the club. She stood there in the cold, her eyes wide and her mouth pouting as she watched him. He knocked his bloody knuckles on her trunk and she fumbled in her designer purse to dig out her keys and open the trunk.

He picked up his bag and looked at her coldly. “Are you going to go back?”

Trini flushed and bowed her head shyly. “I...I’m sorry. Where do you want to...to go?” Without waiting for his reply, she unlocked the doors and shifted nervously from foot to foot. “What...? What do we do now?”

He smirked coldly. Finally he tossed everything in her trunk. “Come here, Trini.”

Without even noticing the silently gawking crowd gathering in the shadows to watch, Trini walked up to him with small steps. “What can I do for you?”

He smirked, grabbing her ass and pulling her against him. His other hand grabbed her face and forced her to look up at him. “You can be quiet and do exactly what I say.”

She pulled on his hands slightly, her eyes wide and vaguely frightened as she stared up at him. “O-o-okay.”

“Let’s get something to eat,” he growled. “Then you’re going to go and find me another fight.”

“B-b-b-but I don’t know anything about fighting.”

He shrugged. “Then take me back to the city. I’m hungry.”

She took him to a bistro in the middle of the city in the top of one of the skyscrapers. The waiters and waitresses buzzed around them, bringing them water and appetizers. He scowled impatiently, looking out the window over the city as Trini fidgeted.

“Is...this okay?” she murmured. “This place has the best steak in the entire city.”

He nodded, watching the big buildings and the people walking back and forth between them. Finally, he asked, “Who else could be running a fight?”

She shrugged. “I-I-I said that I don’t know.”

“Think, Trini. People who have obviously secret lives and own big warehouses or other buildings.” He snarled at her. “Maybe someone who has shown up with bruises or scrapes.”

She nodded, picking up some of the local organic pickled vegetables. “I guess I can ask around.” She took the bite, looking at him speculatively. “So you aren’t just another pretty face.”

He lounged back in his chair. “Hardly.”

She nodded slowly. “You’re good.”

He frowned, watching a drunken couple almost run into a lamppost below. “Not good enough.”

“Good enough for what?” Trini puffed out an irritated breath. “I mean—four against one? How good do you have to be?!”

“Better than I am now,” Ryu puffed irritably.

“But...why?” She sighed, shaking her head. “You know, I’ve never seen anything like that.” She flushed. “I’ve never done anything like that. You know I cheered for you, right?”

Ryu glanced around and suddenly caught his reflection in the window. His eyes seemed to sparking with red and there was a darkness in his reflection that was startling and threatening. He seemed to be a completely different person now. A waiter’s reflected face caught his gaze and the man looked shocked and almost fell over a table getting away from him.

“Yeah,” he muttered sourly, unable to remember what she even asked.

“Oh, the steaks are here,” she trilled.

He turned to the meal and stared at the filet mignon and sides. He cut into the meat and a thin trickle of pink came out of the medium rare meat. Suddenly he was ravenous and he took a bite. The tender beef was delicious in a way that he had never had before.

Trini nibbled her meal, watching him wolf down the dinner. Shivering slightly, she felt her throat go dry. “So, do you like it?”

He nodded, guzzling his drink. He rarely had any alcohol and the whiskey buzz was leaving him. What had she ordered him? It was dark amber—but he didn’t remember exactly what it was. “It’ll do.”

“Could we go home after this?”

“Go home?”

“Yeah.” She flushed and smirked at him. “That was....” She licked her lips, smiling at him and fluttering her lashes. “Oh my God, that was hot.”

“Hot?”

“I’ve never seen...ever been treated like that,” she whispered. “It was amazing.” With a casual shrug, she asked, “And...after this—maybe we could go to my place and see what happens next?”

Ryu glared at her cooly. “You want to be treated like that?”

She smirked. “By you.”

“Maybe later.” He shrugged again, his eyes cold. “After we’ve found the next fight....”


	26. Chapter 26

Hana looked out of the grubby window at the darkening sky. The dinner she had fixed was simmering in the pots and she had things cleaned up. The big alpha was meditating on a stump outside. This high up, the snows were already starting to stick to the ground and the surrounding forest was quiet in the silver and black woods.

She wobbled to her feet. The children were strong and kicked often, which made her often pause and gasp as they moved and settled. She was slow now, with the children weighing her down. She had long since given up any thoughts of trying to escape because of her size. The alpha was too fast, to sure, too strong for her to do anything about it.

Finally, everything was ready.

She scooped out the food into the bowls and put them aside. There was a bucket of water so that she had something to drink. Waddling over to the window, she knocked on it and shouted. At first, it seemed like he didn’t hear, but he always heard, always responded by uncurling and standing and coming back to the cottage. There was always a rattle and a thump and he came back in.

For someone who claimed that the cold and extremes made him stronger, he certainly liked having his hot meals by the fire pit. He would give her enough that she wasn’t starving, even if it wasn’t always enough that she felt replete. He let her sleep on the bunk and bathe as she wished, at least.

She washed the dishes and put them away. He watched her with glistening red eyes as she closed the small cabinet and washed her hands. Finally, she was done and went to sit by the window and stare at the sky with the stars twinkling through the black tree branches.

“The way that you stare through that window, omega,” he said silkily, “one would think that your Ryu was going to float down from the heavens and knock on the door.” He laughed coldly at his own joke. “He will not find us here.”

“I-I...know.” She cleared her throat and was shocked at how raspy her voice was. “But...I need a doctor,” she whispered. “The pups will be here soon.”

Akuma stopped smiling. “Well, then...we need to do something, don’t we?” He cocked his head thoughtfully. “Perhaps it is time to force the issue.”

“What?!” Hana curled up into a small ball. “No! I-I-I won’t l-l-let you hurt the pups.”

“I only want one of them,” he smirked. He shrugged again. “But for now, I want to go out and find something more...challenging than a whining omega. I am going to be gone a few days, but you seem to be endlessly able to subsist on onion soup and rice and beans. And as long as you boil the tap water, then you should be mostly safe to drink it. Mostly anyway.”

With that, he walked out. She listened for the rattle of the lock, but there was nothing. Excitedly, she went to the door and to her surprise, it opened. Akuma was only a few steps down the path and she let out a squeak as he turned his head slightly to glance over his shoulder.

“Are you really going to try to waddle down the path by yourself? At night?”

“N-n-no.” Hana whimpered with a worried frown, “But...when will you be back?”

“When I get back, omega.”

“W-w-what if I...? If the pups come?”

He shrugged idly. “If you have the pups, then you have them. If they do not, they do not. At this point, even your death will make Ryu stronger than he has ever been.”

Hana ducked back into the cabin, slamming the door. His laughter filled the woods, sending crows flying. She huddled in the cabin, suddenly cold to her very bones. She tossed a few more bits of wood on the fire and wrapped in a quilt. There was no way to find her own way down—not while she was bearing children and unable to defend herself.

At least she had a sturdy cabin and some food. There was a pile of wood and some coal, a good amount of rice still and some beans. The bucket could still draw water or collect snow if the river or the well froze. She was not alone or helpless here until the demon man came back.

She began her prayers again. Please let Ryu live....

***********************************  
Ryu sat across from Trini again, watching as she nibbled at the salad she ordered. “If you wanted fitness training, then I could train you better than the trainer at your prissy gym.”

She blinked, her hair in flowing blonde curls down her back. Sitting up with a shiver, she smiled shyly. “But...I wanted to please you.” She gestured at her curvy body in the tight tennis dress, her wrists twinkling with a pair of diamond tennis bracelets. “I thought you might like this.”

“I’ve told you what I want.” He shrugged idly. “Can you do that?”

She whined softly. “I did my best. The club has fights every night except Mondays and Tuesdays. They don’t have a good reputation and nothing more than locals.”

Ryu snorted and started to stand up. “Then you are—.”

“No. No—I’ll figure out something.” She flushed as he sat down again, poking at her salad. “You know I really hate salads.” She scowled at him. “I’m getting bored. Why can’t we do something fun?” She poked at the lettuce. “Why don’t you show me what you do for fun?”

He laughed, “I don’t think you’re cut out for that.”

She stuck out her tongue playfully. “Why don’t you try me, mister macho alpha? I might surprise you.”

Ryu thought for a moment and nodded. “Come with me.”

He took her to the slick building of Masters Gym. His gold membership allowed him to bring a friend and he took her immediately to a classroom. She flushed in excitement as she looked at the frosted glass wall of the empty classroom and smiled. He knew exactly what she was thinking and felt a mischievous thrill in bursting her bubble. “We’ll start with pushups. Then sit-ups and planks and running.”

He let her keep going for an hour, ignoring her whines of pain as he shot through the exercises. At the end of the hour, he smirked and stood. Standing, he dropped into his ready position. “Now, Trini—attack me.”

“What?!” She let out a groan. “I can hardly move.”

“You wanted to know what I do for fun didn’t you?” He smirked at her. “Fight through your pain. Fight through everything. Only in your exhaustion do you learn and grow better.”

She screeched at him. “You fucker—this is not what I meant! What the hell do you think you’re talking about?” He only smiled at her, enraging her even more. “I’m going to fuck you up!”

She leapt at him, clawing for his arms and face. He dodged easily, whipping around and keeping her moving. She kept clawing and scratching, screaming wordlessly as she tried kicking and punching. Finally, she grabbed his arm and bit him as hard as she could.

“Hellcat!” Ryu spat. He flushed and felt a wicked heat going through him. Hell, why not show her what real power was? She was an alpha—she could take care of herself. With a twist, he got away from her. Trini smirked at him, blood running down the corner of her mouth. “Good improvisation. Now try again.”

Trini shook nervously, but then laughed in her manic way. “You’re crazy, Ryu.”

He smiled at her as she touched the blood and looked at it. With a gritty voice, he hissed, “No...you just aren’t hungry enough.” Stalking closer, his voice dropped lower and he grinned to see her eyes darken and widen as she shivered. “And how did it feel, Trini? How did it feel to attack? To use your nails and claws?”

Trini shivered, her eyes wild and wide as she licked the blood from the side of her mouth. “It was....”

“Trini—you know how it felt.” He stalked around her. “You know how it felt to try to attack me. You know that it felt good to feel that animal side. You’re an alpha and you know it felt good to be an alpha. To leap up with claws and fangs and abandon all of the chains of this frantic and chaotic society.

“The victor gets the spoils. Everyone else gets the leftovers, don’t they? You know this already. An alpha like you already knows this, but it gets lost, doesn’t it? Under all the hustle and bustle and business suits and lattes is still an alpha who understands clawing to the top.” He touched the scratches and the bite marks, his blood on his fingers. With a snarling smile, he licked the blood off his fingertips. “And the beat goes on.”

Trini growled and attacked him again. Ryu ducked and blocked, wrenching her into a wrist lock. With a snap, she kicked as hard as she could. He grunted and smiled at her. “That’s it, Trini. You feel it, don’t you? You feel that need to plow through whoever is in your way.”

He twisted her, grabbing her and slamming her against his body. “You feel that excitement. You feel that primal force don’t you?”

Trini whined again, feeling his muscular body slammed hard against the back of her own. Thrashing, she ground her ass against his groin. With a gasp of shock, she realized that she felt his hard cock against her ass.

Unexpectedly, he laughed. “Only the strong survive, Trini. Now tell me—are you one of the strong? One of the conquerors? One of the ones who will climb to the top?” He bucked his hips and laughed again to feel her shudder and moan. “Do you even know, Trini?”

Trini felt him loosen his grip. With a graceful twist and a whirl, she was facing him. He smirked down at her as she grabbed his hair. Yanking down painfully, she ground her lips against his, smearing the trickle of blood across their faces. “Do you?”

He reached down and picked up her leg, wrapping it around his hip. Trini laughed low, her lips grazing his chest. With a rough grab, he yanked the skirt up and her tennis panties down before burying his fingers into her core. His fingers were coated in hot slick.

“Trini—what does it taste like?” He ground his lips against hers again. Another thin pink smear was on her face. “What does it feel like?”

She groaned, trying to thrust, but his thick fingers were so deep and his arm held her so close. It felt like fire was inside her, building as she rolled her hips. She hadn’t expected it, but her exhaustion evaporated as he held her. The blood smeared on his arm stained her dress and skin and the coppery taste seemed almost primal. “Fuck—it feels like fire, Ryu.”

He chuckled darkly. “It does.”

She smirked at him. “I want more.”

“More?” he hissed in her ear. Her breath caught, then she nodded. “Then do it again.”

Three more times she leapt at him, her nails out and her teeth bared before he shoved her down to the floor of the classroom and pounced on her. Her legs spread automatically and he was between them in a half second. He ripped down the little panties and shoved his fingers inside. She squirmed, curling and writhing as he pinned her down. His lips crushed hers and she screamed against them as he kept thrusting. 

With a wail, she felt fire flame in her blood. “Fuck me, Ryu.”

He laughed. His fingers went faster and he smirked to feel her core clamp down. She had no idea, did she? No idea what she wanted. His fingers scissored and her slick gushed around his fingers. “Cum for me.”

She did, biting her fist to keep from screaming. Her eyes screwed shut as she panted, her feet scrabbling against the wooden floor. He was too strong, of course, and she went nowhere. The fire burst in her and her cry was strangled. For a moment, it seemed like his eyes were glowing red as she looked up at him. One more time his fingers spread her out and she shuddered, her eyes closing again.

When he yanked his fingers out, she felt gutted, hollowed out. He pushed himself to his feet and snorted. Smirking at her, he walked to the closet and pulled out two dry mops. Tossing one across her, he went calmly to wipe up the sweat and blood from the floor.

She gaped up at him, flushing as she timidly pulled on her clothes. Then silently, she picked up the the handle and helped him wipe up the mess. It was thrilling in a dark way, having to clean the floor of such an intimate mess.

He didn’t speak as they cleaned up, only put away the mops in the tiny cleaning closet. She flushed, expecting him to say something, but he said nothing—only snapped and crooked his finger. Trini bit her lip and nodded, following him out.

She dropped him off with a smirk and drove off. He watched her car disappear and went back to the hostel. It was quiet in his room, dark and empty. He peeled off the dirty clothes, blankly looking at the spots of blood on them. He took his towel and got showered in the miserly warm water shower and then went back to his room.

This room stunk from the restaurant on the first floor. The smell of garlic and onions and ginger came up from the tatami mats. His window looked directly across the street from a large neon sign in the shape of a whore with cat ears so even if he managed to wrestle the thing open, it only let in a smog of car fumes and ramen and cigarette smoke and the sound of cars and crowds.

Why was he here again?

He frowned as he tried to remember. Why wasn’t he at the dojo? Somewhere that didn’t smell like an ashtray and didn’t leave him feeling dirty. What was he doing here again?

Ryu picked up the little phone, fiddling with the buttons. There was nothing new. He had spent a bit to get more minutes on the stupid thing. A useless toy for a useless time. He turned it off and set it aside.

What else could he do? He had trained only an hour with Trini, perhaps he could go back to the gym. He could perhaps go back to the club. Maybe he could go find something to eat. Ryu laid down to see if he could find some kind of peace, but, was he sure that he wanted it? He hadn’t felt alive like he had in the arena—not since Master Gouken had died.

For a moment, he felt remorse. He should have been there.... Then he buried it because it hurt too much to remember.


	27. Chapter 27

For a few days, Hana felt something like peace. She was alone in the cabin and the woods. It had snowed a little, making the woods silver and glistening white and silent. She loved the silence, loved how the wood seemed to shimmer in the dark. She had even seen a deer walk timidly past today.

Picking up the bucket, she shuffled out to the well for water. It was hard—very hard—to pull it back up, but she would have clean water to drink. She had already just about frozen getting branches and stacking them for the fire, but they would dry and be good for a fire tonight. Despite the difficulty, she would be warm and clean. She could enjoy a lovely bath after this....

She waddled back up to the small cabin, the bucket swinging slightly unevenly. Brushing the snow off, she felt almost blissful as she thought about another evening where she could happily look at the stars and sing to the pups. For lack of a better idea, she had begun speaking to them of their Grandfather Gouken and repeated his stories to them.

The cabin door was open when she got there. She was going to scream, to run, but the large footprints in the snow seemed to reek of the poisoned scent of the demonic alpha. The bucket sloshed a little more and she shivered.

“Come in, omega,” he called. “It’s cold out there.”

Hana shivered again and staggered to the door. Sure enough, the big alpha was sitting by the fire with his back to the door. “I...I didn’t...know you were here.”

“Now you know.” He snapped his fingers. “Brush off and come in. I am hungry and you have cleaning to do.”

Hana did as he said. She was messy, but she had managed fine until now. Glancing around, she saw the pile of supplies he had brought. The two bags of rice she put into the canister. The bags of red beans and black beans she put in the drawers. There were a few other kitchen supplies—some cans of fruit, a packet of noodles, more salt and spices, a new bottle of soy sauce, a thick ginger root, and the like. There was a floppy kimono too, as well as a pair of boots her size.

“You should thank me, omega,” Akuma purred. He held up a hand and showed her a thick book of fables and a chocolate candy bar. “I even thought about you.”

Not for one moment did she think he meant to give them to her. “Th-th-thank you, alpha.”

“Fix dinner for me,” he ordered. “Or leave and make you way to the town by yourself. I will not stop you.”

She shook as she began fixing dinner. He had, of course, managed to get two dozen eggs and a chicken. So she began cooking those, chopping vegetables and cooking the noodles. It smelled good enough, she supposed. Good enough that he seemed to smirk at her as he watched her cook. Surprisingly, it was apparently good enough that he gave her enough so that she felt actually felt a bit full and then sleepy.

“Sleep well omega,” was all he said.

She laid down on the bunk, her eyes not really seeing him as he sat by the fire pit in his typical meditation with his eyes closed. Idly, she wondered what she would need to do to get the chocolate. Or the book. She shuddered, uncertain if she really wanted to know what kind of things he would reward. Finally, she asked, “What do you intend to do with me?”

Akuma snorted and opened one eye to look at her, “You are an insect, omega. The sole reason I let you live at all is because there is the spark of a fighter in one of your pups.” He laughed at her shocked face. “Whether you whelp here or in a shelter or an exchange or in a back alley, I do not particularly care.”

She rose to her knees in the bunk in fear. “What?”

“I said, omega, that I do not care where you whelp, as long as the fighter pup lives.” Akuma shrugged. “I do not think your Ryu will be a challenge for me, but perhaps that one will be. Perhaps, at long last, I will have a challenge worthy of my strength.”

“Ryu is the best fighter in the world!”

His booming, deep laugh echoed. “Ryu is falling even now into the Satsui no Hado. Are you truly so naive? The techniques that brought him strength and power so far—those are only a starting point. My brother corrupted the true Shotokan teachings, abandoned the true power and then passed on that corruption—that infection—to all of his students. Especially your most prized Ryu. And how do we get rid of that infection?” His teeth gleamed white. “We cut it out.”

Hana shook violently. She didn’t dare take her eyes from him as he sat there. Even when he ordered her to her bunk, she couldn’t stop looking at him. In her sleep, she found no rest because he kept laughing and chasing her in her dreams. And every time that she managed to get away from him in her dream, she found Ryu’s body in a broken heap like Master Gouken’s. Flies covered him, walking on his blankly staring eyes and feeding on his blood.

She jerked awake, screaming. Akuma was still across the irori, the flickering lights making him even more demonic looking as he sat there calmly in his cross legged posture. He cracked open one eye and bared his teeth. “Problem?”

Hana gasped for breath, her skin chilled and sweaty. Everything hurt and she felt her muscles cramping. “N-n-no....”

“You’re welcome to leave.”

“No—ahh...thank you, uhh, alpha.” She curled under the blanket again. “No....”

He shrugged. “Any time that you wish to leave, the door is open.”

“Open?!”

“I somehow don’t think that you are interested in going down through the woods by yourself. And I am not interested in dealing with you and trying to take you right now.” He folded his hands together and stretched them over his head. His shoulders and joints popped loudly. “But I suppose that at some point I’ll have to, I suppose. Unless you want to drop the pups here?”

She looked around nervously. The cabin had become a bit like a nest and she almost didn’t want to leave it at all. Especially not to go traipsing down the mountain in the cold with her pups so big inside her. She shook again and shook her head slowly. Laying down again, she closed her eyes and kept up her prayer.

Please let Ryu live....

****************************  
Trini tried to reserve Ryu’s time almost without a break. The service informed him cooly the she wanted him for the next month--all through the weekends and most of the evenings. He snorted and told them that he'd think about it. He wanted to spend only as much time as necessary to have a livable income and spend the rest of the time training. Akuma was too big, too fast, too strong to do anything else.

He was taken everywhere by the alpha woman--on a yacht party, a few trips to clubs, twice to an onsen, and once on a surprising trip to a party with a few of her business contacts where three geishas led drinking games and silly conversations. They were always one of the centers of attention as people were drawn to her sparkling personality and obvious wealth as well as him. A few of them swore that they were going to get married, offering her cooing congratulations and smirking up at him in predatory way.

He was mildly amused by their antics—all their complicated strategies to try to get ahead of the rest of them. They were worse than street fighters as they tried to beat each other to the newest bits of gossip first like it was some kind of prize. So Trini would talk to Gloria who knew Diane’s best friend who could tell them who was getting involved, who had just hit a rut, who had just gotten an omega. And then one would owe the other a favor or something and they would go to lunch and pretend to adore each other while waiting for the opportunity to socially gut each other.

He had no time for such idiocy.

He spent most of his time in the gym. He did everything from weights to machines to doing katas in an empty classroom when he could get it. He even did a few classes in yoga for flexibility only to feel vaguely disappointed that he was more flexible than the bone thin instructor and even repelled by the speculative stares by all of the women in the class.

Ryu preferred to be alone anyway.

He was adding more weight to his bar when the little phone in his bag rang. Grabbing it, he noted that Ken had sent him a quick text message—‘Thanks for your support, Ryu. Gym’s doing great.’—and answered Trini’s call.

“Ryu! I was wondering if you were free tonight?”

He growled impatiently. “What is it this time?”

“Oh...just the usual. Small group of friends to get some drinks at my place. Diane and her omega boy. Donna and a friend of hers. Tadao—maybe his assistant. Two of my business associates.”

“Drinks at your place, huh?” He smirked. “Subtle.”

“Just a few drinks darling.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Depending on how you’re feeling, then we will talk to Donna’s friend. He says that there’s something going on north of town.”

He snorted. “What?”

“I don’t know what, but it sounded...promising. Anyway, I’ll go on and count on you. Should I pick you up at the gym? How does 7:30 sound?”

He snarled, rolling his eyes. “Fine. 7:30.”

“Thank you, darling! Oh—also I’m taking you shopping tomorrow. Something else to wear—maybe Nordstrom or Gucci or maybe even Armani. Tell me, could I convince you to maybe wear a suit? Maybe one of those trendy black ones. I know a fabulous tailor, Ryu—.”

“A suit? For what?”

“Oh you brute. Fine then—no suit. See you at 7:30. Must dash—I have a nail appointment before the wine delivery. Bye now.”

Ryu tossed the phone into his bag and went back to his weights. He didn’t know how much more weight he could put on the bar, but he was determined to do all he could. He needed to be stronger, far stronger, to face Akuma.

He stopped at 7:00 to get cleaned up in the gym’s showers. At least he had his nice pants and a shirt. Trini’s insistence on seeing him most evenings meant that he kept at least that much with him. He stared at himself in the mirror, almost unable to recognize himself in his reflection. At some point, he had lost the golden tan he had picked up when he was training outside so much. His hair had grown out a little, giving him a bit of a rakish look, he supposed.

Trini rushed up in her sports car, looking at her nails with their silly purple varnish with the gold patterns along the tips. She smirked at him as he tossed the bag in the back seat. With a roar of the engine, she drove off down the highway to what she affectionately called her “little estate” which boasted a mere eight bedrooms, a pool with a pool house, a sunning deck, and—she reassured him—a fitness room. That was what she had told him about the place, anyway, which meant that there was probably more than she wanted to admit.

“That’s some place,” Ryu muttered as they drove up. “So anything else you want to tell me about what’s going on?”

“Just some drinks with friends darling. Nothing you haven’t done before.” She giggled. “Just brood like you normally do.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just brood, huh?”

“Just be yourself, Ryu.” She shrugged, touching her elegantly styled hair gently. “You will do just fine.”

“Is that an omega shelter?” he asked, looking at a large building set in the back of the estate as they drove through.

“Darling, how droll! A shelter?” She laughed. “Hardly. Why would I want to open a shelter to a bunch of unprofitable nothings? That’s the overflow from my exchange. A few of the extras if you will. I’m hoping that Tadao and Diane will invest so that I can expand my operations.”

Ryu was not surprised. Trini was primarily concerned with Trini’s comfort and he honestly would have been surprised if she had managed to be concerned with another’s welfare. Still, he had to admit that her estate was clean and large. Maybe she was generous and let them run around the estate. Maybe she let them swim in the summer when no one else was around....

They went to the sitting room where her staff hovered with platters of miniature sweets and bite-sized quiches and fruit and vegetables. A girl in a frilly uniform poured shots and arranged goblets and bottles of wine, glancing up at him with little half looks, which made Trini scowl and wave her away angrily.

“So sorry about Tia,” she murmured, running her hands over his chest with a possessive smile. “She’s just overcome, darling. I don’t get such handsome visitors all the time.” She gave him a glistening smile of artificial brilliance. “In fact, since we’ve been seeing each other, I haven’t been seeing anyone else.” It would have been a romantic or flirtatious remark, but the doorbell rang. “Oh! There’s the door.”

He nodded as she led in her guests. The staff was careful to hover around the edges as everyone lounged on the comfortable sofas and chairs. Trini practically sat in his lap, her hands gently brushing him every so often with an artificial laugh. He kept drinking soda water, listening to them chat with only half an ear.

“So, Ryu, is it?” Tadao snorted over his brandy, weaving in the seat as he took a cracker with some soft cheese and a smear of apricot jam on it. “I hear that you went to the fights and cleaned them up.”

He shrugged. “I was looking for a challenge.”

Tadao snorted, eyeing him up and down. “Ha! I told Sato that those beginners were practically an insult.” He nodded. “I am going to sponsor one of Edmond Honda’s matches next month, but I wanted to see if all the stories were true.”

“Oh? What stories?”

“I want to see you in action. I’m...ahh...allowing a few people on one of my fields north of town in a few weeks.” He nodded and raised his glass. “And if you win, I will definitely invest in the expansion of the exchange.”

“Here, here,” nodded Donna. “But I am worried.”

“About what?” Trini snorted. “Ryu is sure to win.”

“Oh, not that,” Donna sighed. “But there’s so much legislation in the works. I keep hearing about additional legislation—mandatory breeding breaks and so on. It would make running the exchanges even more difficult and less profitable.”

“At least let us see what your omegas look like,” Diane sighed as her male omega knelt beside her chair and she patted his head absently. “I mean, we can’t really invest when we can’t see what shape they’re in.”

Trini pouted. “Of course I run a high quality exchange.”

“Oh, of course, dear. Of course.” She smirked. “But we still want to see Ryu win.”

Trini nodded with a smile. “Tell me, Tadao—are you still following the University of Tokyo Warriors?”

“Oh, the American football team,” he replied. He began spouting statistics and play by plays and everyone else sat back and listened. The conversation turned to casual topics easily as the staff came around with refills.

Quite quickly, Trini and Ryu were seeing the last of the guests to the door. She smirked at him cattily and closed the heavy door. “So, how should we pass the time now?”

Ryu shrugged. “I’ve got to go, Trini.”

She smiled up at him. “Now you are not serious.” She swished her hips as she came up to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she nuzzled his chest. “Here I have arranged the fight you wanted, and now you’re all prickly.” She pointed to the table where the bottles of wine and liquor were still there. “Come on, Ryu—lighten up. Let’s party.”

“You’re drunk, Trini.”

She giggled at him. Patting his chest, she murmured, “Let’s get you out of that tight shirt.” Her grin was predatory. “The workout seems to be working, doesn’t it? That shirt is living on borrowed time.”

He let her peel it off him. It was too tight—there was a reason he ripped the sleeves off his ghi jackets. And she did arrange the fight he was hungry for, so why not give her a little more of what she wanted?

She led him through the house to her alpha suite. He slid off her dress, laid her on the bed. Ryu was amused at the frilly, lacy lingerie she had on—a push up bra that barely hid her nipples and a matching thong with a bow just between her legs. There was a sheen of oil and the smell of apricots rising from her flawless skin.

With a smirk, she wiggled. “I was hoping that this would happen and I got waxed...all over.” She smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Why don’t you check it out?”

He smirked as she kissed him. Taking one of his hands, she led him to the bow between her breasts and they untied them. The bits fell off and she grinned as his leg pushed between hers. His rough fingers traced over the smoothly oiled skin almost reluctantly.

“Darling—something wrong?” She grinned up at him. “And here I thought it would appeal to you more than the tennis stuff.”

“Sure I like it,” he smirked suddenly. He couldn’t think for a minute why he wouldn’t take what she was offering. Take her and use her up for whatever he could get from her. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Every part of her was smooth and silky and fragrant. He nuzzled her skin. As an alpha, she was muscled more heavily than a beta or an omega. She was strong, confident. Why not indulge her—see if she could set up another fight, another connection?

So he ripped her lacy underwear off of her. She yelped and wriggled, bucking hard up against him. His hand could cover her flat stomach and the other one grabbed her breast. Her hands unfastened his trousers and pushed them down, drawing his cock out with a deft move.

He sniffed her skin, drowning in the smell of apricots. She was soft and slick all over like a pampered pet. Unsurprisingly, she was wet and eager when he jammed his fingers insider her.

“I’ve never seen an alpha like you,” she murmured, stroking his cock. “All hard and strong and determined.”

He shuddered at the feel of her hands. Her strokes were sure and confident, even bold. It was a bit off-putting, to have her hands stalking over him. With a jump, he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head. “You have never been told ‘no’, have you?”

Her purple eyes went wide and then she grinned. “Not recently enough.” Her face was innocent as she rubbed her core against his thigh and streaked his skin with her slick. “Are you going to?”

He growled, tightening his grip until she gasped and whined. His rough hand came up to her cheek and he patted it just hard enough that her eyes widened and she whimpered. “I’m telling you ‘no’ now.” She looked up at him in shock, her body laying down and shivering suddenly. The back of his knuckles rubbed her cheek roughly. “And now I’m telling you to lay there.”

Trini nodded as he moved, his hard muscles pressing against her in all kinds of ways that were almost painful. “I want to move.”

“No.”

“Then touch me, dammit.”

He laughed and his mouth went to her peach colored nipples. Sucking hard, he grinned to hear her whine and feel her hips unwillingly buck up. “You are actually weak, aren’t you, Trini?” Another hard suck and another whine and he pushed two fingers inside. “You’re as much a slave to your body as any omega.”

She howled wordlessly at him. Struggling upward, she tried to bite, her teeth snapping just in front of him. Then he thrust hard inside her with his fingers, crooking them and smirking to hear her whine and flop down just as hard. She began bucking on his fingers, her feet kicking in the smooth sheets.

“Oh, fuck, Ryu.” She shuddered and bucked again. “Nothing has ever felt like this.”

It was pure meanness that made him stop. Her eyes were narrowed in instant hatred with tears. She bit up at him again. “I am only teaching you discipline, Trini.” Whipping her to her stomach, he ground against her. “You have none, but even you can learn.”

She bucked up against him, whimpering and whining. “I want more.”

“Be still. Do not move.” He waited patiently until she was only shuddering underneath him. “Good. Now I can reward you.”

His fingers dug into her cunt with rough jerk. She cried and shook beneath him, her slick gushing out over his hand. She came hard, screaming and thrashing. He pushed his cock against her plush ass cheeks, rubbing it back and forth.

Trini purred softly, pushing up with a weary grin. “Oh hell...I’m gonna be a good girl from now on.” Another shudder went through her body. “Fuck, you’re still hard.”

“I am.”

She seemed to curl in the sheets and relax. “So what do I have to do to earn your magnificent cock?”

Ryu smirked and laid down. Pulling her up against him, he kept rubbing against her hips. “Do what I want and you might get it.”


	28. Chapter 28

Akuma left her alone in the cabin for a few days again. It was hopeless trying to figure out what day it was, let alone the month or anything. As such, she had no way to figure out how far along she was or when she could expect the pups. Everything ached from her swollen breasts to her belly to her swollen ankle and the pups were lively as they kicked her. So, her prayers were doubled—one that Ryu would live and one that the pups would be healthy when they came.

It felt hopeless as she stared at the cabin. There was nowhere for them to sleep. There was nothing for them to wrap up in. She had barely enough to dress in—what was she going to do with three of them? She wept when Akuma was outside training because she did not dare cross him when he had that devilish look of mayhem on his face—let alone ask about such things as baby items.

She was staring at the fire in the pit when he stalked in with another bag of eggs and another chicken as well as another bag of rice and beans and a package of chopped vegetables. She looked up at him slowly with a wide-eyed and hopeless expression. “Thank you, alpha.”

“Put these away, omega,” he ordered as he brushed the snow off. “I am hungry.”

“Yes, alpha.”

He sat by the fire, watching as she split the chicken and began cooking. The smells were almost making her sick as she dropped in the vegetables. Hana’s eyes watered as she added salt and pepper and some soy sauce. She wanted so badly to get out of here—to run far from here.

“Poor omega,” he hissed with a grin, making her jump. “Are you lonely here?”

She bit her lip nervously. “I’m fine alpha.”

He leaned back a bit. “Are you truly?” A muscular arm waved. “The door is open—and has been all week.”

“Yes, alpha.” Hana tugged at the belled chain around her neck. She had found a rag a few weeks ago and washed it and tugged it under the chain so that it didn’t scratch her raw more than it did now. She stirred the food, sweat prickling over her brow. “This will be ready soon.”

“Perfect,” Akuma purred. “So...how old, exactly, are you omega?”

“W-w-what?” She stared at him. “I...don’t understand.”

“How many years have you existed?” he drawled.

She blinked nervously. “I am twenty-two, alpha.”

“So you could have many litters yet,” he nodded slowly.

“I suppose so,” she whispered, stirring restlessly. “I...hadn’t thought about it.”

He smirked. “I have been thinking of you, omega.”

“Oh?”

“I realized that it was foolish to suppose that your Ryu’s pups would have strength to match me. So, perhaps since I am saddled with an omega, why not put her to use and give her a few litters to improve my odds?”

Hana sucked in a breath nervously. Slowly, she put the wooden spatula down, feeling more nauseous and pale. Her hands went to her stomach. Biting her lip, she looked at him. He was still coldly grinning at her, lapping up her fear like a cat with cream.

“O-o-okay.” She glanced nervously around the cabin again and then shook herself. Stirring the food again, she frantically grabbed the first idea she had. “So then, could I ask you something?”

He kept that predatory smirk on his face. “Don’t burn dinner while you do it.”

She nodded and began stirring again. “I...I want you to tell me what I have to do in order to have Ryu’s pups born unharmed.”

“Such a question!” He smiled more and the flickering flames made his face appear red and oddly shaped like an oni’s. “Very well.”

“So tell me.”

“You stay where I put you without trying to run away or summon help. You bear all the pups I want. You do not harm any of my pups and then, maybe, I will not harm yours.”

She gasped, her hands cramping and almost dropping the spatula. “What?!”

“You heard me, omega.”

“A-a-and, if I do that...then I can keep Ryu’s pups? You won’t...won’t take them away? Or hurt them?”

He shrugged. “I never said I would not ever. I said maybe I would not harm them.” He smirked at her little moan. “If they are to stay with you—then they will train with me and...who knows what could happen?”

She did drop the spatula. “You—you’re a monster.”

He leapt up and was over her faster than she could blink. His palm cracked across her cheek and she was flung across the floor. She couldn’t even cry out, her face flaming and already sore and swollen feeling. She could taste blood in her mouth and it made her stomach roil.

“I do not need you, maggot,” he growled. “I already have your precious Ryu in the palm of my hand and nothing will stop our coming battle. You are the one who propositioned me.”

Hana moaned softly as she shook her head. Somehow, everything had been crystal clear before and now it was all fuzzy. What had she been doing? Why was she on the floor? She glanced around and saw his feet next to her. One heavy kick and her pups would die.

“I...apologize, alpha.” She gasped for a breath, swallowing the blood in her mouth. “I am truly sorry.”

“Another rebellion like that and I will squeeze those pups out of you and crush them in front of you before I break your neck.”

“I apologize, alpha.”

“Fix my dinner, omega,” he growled. “You will get nothing tonight.”

“Y-y-yes, alpha,” she whimpered. Crawling slowly, she went to the pan. Only by luck, the chicken was cooked, but not burnt. She scraped it into his bowl and gave it to him before crawling back to the crude sink and washing her face. Moving her jaw carefully, she was relieved that nothing felt broken.

He ate with his customary haste. It seemed almost like he was not even tasting it, but he picked the bones clean and ate all the rice and vegetables. He ignored her as she took the dirty dishes and washed them silently. As soon as she was done, he took out some twine and tied her hands behind her and then to her small bunk.

He stuffed a rag in her mouth and then patted her hip heavily. “A bit more training and you might even be worthy of my pups.” She looked up at him wildly. “And, if not, then your death will at least be helping your Ryu grow his power. What more could a worthless omega want than to help an alpha grow stronger?” She whined wordlessly and shuddered. “Now, I will go out to collect a few things and I will be back in the morning. You will sleep here and perhaps your stomach will remind you that you are merely an omega with foreign pups who is entirely expendable. Now, nod to say that you understand.”

Hana nodded, biting the gag anxiously. His hands smelled coppery and dirty. As his hand stroked her leg, she wriggled. It seemed like whatever he touched became polluted and crackled with a dark static that made her think of octopus ink swirling in salt water. He laughed and smacked her ass hard enough that she cried out.

“And omega...do not think that I will be so gentle with you. I can do whatever I want with you. If I decide to take your pups, I will. If I decide to starve you, I will. If I decide to beat you, I will. If I decide you are no longer worth my time, then I will kill you.” He shrugged. “And the forest is full of plants and herbs that I can use to torture or destroy you.”

She nodded again, her eyes closing slowly. He swatted her again and left, taking most of the warm air with him. She had no choice but to try and get comfortable and hope that he returned before she froze on the bunk. The small cabin darkened as the fire burned down to coals. Every so often, the wood would crack or pop and it would terrify her awake, only to have exhaustion claim her again.

The pink light of dawn was beginning to fill the chilly cabin when the door burst open. Akuma stomped in, brushing snow and dirt off of himself and apparently unconcerned with cold air. Hana took in a hearty, sobbing breath, and shuddered on her bunk as he thumped around.

He yanked her upright and untied the twine. She sighed and rubbed her sore wrists as he yanked out the rag. She blinked and looked at what he had brought this time and then felt sick.

He had brought in several switches of springy green bamboo and that was the most comforting things. There was a pair of stiff poles of bamboo with notches carved into them with pieces of rope already tied in them. Another few lengths of thick rope dropped with crudely whipped ends dropped to the floor. Lastly he dropped three wide leather belts.

“Omega...fix me breakfast. Your alpha hungers after a night out in the wild.”

“Yes, alpha.”

It was no less difficult to revive the dying fire as it had been to start it. She fixed him a hearty breakfast. Hoping against hope that food would sweeten him temper, she served him as quickly as she could. Then she grabbed the few branches still on the woodpile to add to the fire. It flared up finally and the cabin began to feel somewhat warmer.

“I suppose that you will want to be fed,” he sighed.

She nodded slowly. He grinned at her and merely went to pick up one of the poles and tied it to her, stretching her arms outward and tying her wrists to the ends. Hana whimpered helplessly as he sat down with the bowl of rice. He kept eating with a smile on his face. Finally, he dug his hand into it and shoved them into her mouth. She was faintly disgusted that she was so hungry that she actually sucked the food off his fingers. 

It tasted delicious—far more than it really was. He kept digging his fingers into the food and shoving them into her face and she kept sucking his skin. At last, he just held the empty bowl up to her face and laughed as she licked the bowl clean. She wanted more, but there was nothing more. At least, not right now. There wasn’t even enough water to drink.

Akuma had her stagger around with the pole across her shoulders. It was just amusing to him, watching her limp slowly around and try to do even the simplest things. She tired too easily, though, and the game wasn’t fun any more. So, instead, he untied her and then began barking orders at her.

He ran her ragged, too—gathering more wood to dry, more water to drink, yet more water to cook the two measures of rice and one measure of beans so that they could have a hearty lunch. She drug up the heavy buckets, water sloshing over the edge and praying all the while. There was no time to look at the pretty sugar coating on the young trees or to see the small rabbits that bolted as she walked. She didn’t even see the thick, heavy deer skin or the wolf skin that was laying out over two stumps and dripping blood on the rumpled snow.

She brushed off the snow as she brought in the last bucket of water. The food was starting to smell good and the cabin was warm. She was going to go back to the pots, but something stopped her. She was frozen to the spot in front of the closed door.

Akuma stood naked in the battered tub. She turned away, her cheeks flaming. “I am sorry, alpha. I...uhh...didn’t know.”

“Come here, omega,” he purred. “It has occurred to me that you have not actually done much to please me.” She bit her lip, her whole face flaming. “Now that we have an agreement, then I will expect you to do exactly what I say.”

“Yes, alpha.”

“Bathe me,” he ordered with a snap. “If you cannot manage with that, then you will do it with your mouth.” He shrugged. “And I can always pull out every one of your teeth.”

She shuddered and padded slowly over to him. Every part of his skin was dark—some kind of horrid mix of rusty red the color of dried blood and a pale gray brown with mottled blue or purple like the color of bruises. She took up the washing rag and the thin sliver of soap and began scrubbing. She looked everywhere but at him, tried everything she could figure out to avoid seeing him.

It was nauseating to wipe down his body and see the red fade slightly as she wiped off what was obviously blood. It pooled in the battered tub and she couldn’t help but stare at the clouds in the water around his calves. Even when she poured a cups of water over his shaggy, flame colored hair, there was more rusty brown washing down into the tub.

“Keep going, omega,” he snickered. She looked away and began soaping his flanks. “For someone who is going to whelp soon, you are far too shy. I see I will have to beat that out of you.”

She didn’t dare do anything else. So, despite her own nausea and fear, she forced herself to do what he wanted. Somehow he had blood and filth all over—even on his back and down his ass. Hana wanted to throw up, but didn’t dare.

“Now the important bits,” he snapped. His hand grabbed hers and pulled the cloth to his cock. “I want you to wash it slowly, omega. Make me enjoy it and maybe you will live another day.”

There was a slight moment she hesitated before nodding her head. She could do what she had to do. Ryu’s pups were her life, her reason for continuing. Slowly, she soaped up her hands. Taking a deep breath, she went back, rubbing between his thighs first. His cock grew hard as she kept going, soaping his balls and dick. He grinned down at her, amused at her hesitating stroking.

Hana looked away as her hands wrapped around his hard cock. He was going to make this difficult, wasn’t he? The soap bubbles turned dingy and then pink and she gagged in her mouth. So, instead, she bowed her head and listened and hoped that there was some tell—some small sound—to give her a clue on what he liked. Did he like hard or soft or fast or slow? Under the bottom or just around the thick ruddy head? He didn’t even change his breathing—just letting her experiment and keep trying—right up until his cum shot out over her hand.

“It’s about time, omega,” he sighed. “But it is a reasonable first attempt.” He stretched, ignoring her pale face as she dunked her hands to wash them. “Now get cleaned up.”

Gratefully, she went to the battered sink and washed. Even after the copious soap and water and bathing, he still was dark and ruddy and demonic looking. He should have looked like a soggy sheepdog with his rough and choppy hair, but now he looked only...wet. And mad.

He rinsed himself off and lounged until clothes his were dry. She scrubbed her hands almost raw and still it seemed like she could see blood on her fingers. Mumbling softly, she got a new bucket of water to wash her hands and arms.

Hana gave him his lunch and gratefully took her portion. The pups needed nourishment even if her head was spinning and her stomach in knots. He barely noticed her as she tidied up. Nervously, she pushed his poles and ropes and belts aside into a pile in the far corner of the cabin where she wouldn’t have to look at them.

And then she kept praying, over and over. Please let Ryu live. Please keep my pups safe.


	29. Chapter 29

Ryu woke up the next morning next to Trini and for a moment, he couldn’t remember how he got there. There was a sour taste in his mouth and Trini was snoring in her pillow with her lipstick smeared up one side of her mouth and her eyeshadow dusty smudges. He rolled over and stared at the room blearily.

Fucking hell, he needed to get out of here. Why he thought he needed her was beyond him at the moment. He could find street fights without her help. Tadao’s fight was just a bonus. He needed to keep fighting, keep training. Akuma was simply that good, that strong.

He slipped out of the bed to go to the bathroom when he looked into the corner. There was a neatly folded leash and a rolled pad. It sent a chill up his spine as his memories seemed to shift uncertainly. He didn’t want to remember—not anything that would distract from the now, the training he needed.

Picking up his pants, he went downstairs as quietly as he could. The little maid, Tia, was dusting the front room and looked up at him with a shy smile. “Can I help you, sir?”

He thought for a moment. “Maybe you could tell me something.”

She smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

“What is going on with the omegas?”

She flushed bright red. “Oh, Miss Trini doesn’t normally let us go out there.” She flicked her ostrich feather duster over another surface. “She is...a bit strange about it. Always insists that visitors schedule with her. She keeps two staff who just manage that building—taking in the food, cleaning it out, and so on. Don’t see any of the omegas ever, but the lights are on and off, food gets eaten.” She shrugged with an embarrassed look. “The trainer comes through regularly.”

“Could I see it?”

“Oh, you’ll have to ask Miss Trini, sir. She keeps it locked up until she’s got someone to impress.” The maid looked him up and down with a shy grin. “But I’m sure she wants to impress you.”

“Okay.” He shrugged. “I’ll ask her then.”

She nodded and went back to dusting. “If you’ll go through that door, there is coffee and tea and pastries.” She glanced up at him again with a blush. “And if you want something more, I can talk to the cook.”

“Thanks....” He looked away restlessly. “I’ll be fine.”

He wandered through the rooms restlessly. Finally, he found the fitness room. There wasn’t quite the range of equipment or the sheer quantity of weights as he had at the Masters Gym, but it was enough to get started. The maid brought him water and a few pastries and a cup of tea before vanishing discreetly.

Sometime later, Trini walked in with a smirk and a long silk robe, watching him warmly. “Good morning, Ryu.” He nodded at her with a grunt as he lifted the bar again. “I’m all...sore, darling and I can thank you for that, can’t I?”

He set down the bar with a clang. “I...guess so.”

She cocked her head. “So what are you fighting for?” He looked at her confusion. “I mean...there’s more to this, right?” She picked up the forgotten cup of tea and leaned against the wall. “You don’t just...wander around fighting do you?”

He sighed. “And if I do?”

She smirked. “So what are you fighting for? This isn’t like some kind of holy crusade or something?”

“Akuma,” he whispered.

“And who is this Akuma?” Her purple eyes narrowed. “Some kind of punk?”

Ryu sat down and glared at her. “He is the best fighter I’ve ever seen. He took down—.” He swallowed heavily, not wanting to feel anything ever again. “He murdered my master and took Hana.”

“Hana?” Trini’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “Who is Hana?” He grit his teeth, his cheeks turning pink. “Some...? Ahh...perhaps your sister or something?”

“My omega.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “An omega? That’s all?” She snorted a laugh. “If that’s all, then I have plenty of omegas. Pick one.” He shook his head. “Or have them all. As long as they are on birth control during their heats, you and I can have all the fun we want and then we can send them away to do their jobs.”

He sighed heavily. “It’s not that simple.”

She shrugged easily. “Of course it is. Omegas are easy come, easy go.” She gave him a salacious look. “And in your case, I imagine it is very easy come—especially if they are in heat.”

“She carries my pups,” he snapped bitterly.

Again she shrugged. “So? Someone will claim her. The pups will end up in omega homes or whatever. Adopted out.” She made a disgusted face. “Besides, after that, she will be disgusting—all bloated and misshapen. Her tits will be nice, but she’ll be...ugh...loose, won’t she?”

He looked at her with a scowl. “How can you...?”

“How can I what?” She pursed her lips at him. “I’m a realist, darling. And, realistically she will be claimed by someone—whether it is you or some other alpha. The pups—if there actually are any—will be farmed out to omega schools or adopted by betas. She will be with whoever claimed her and, assuming that they are not crazy enough to fix her, she’ll have another litter.

“And, my darling alpha, I have a nice collections of omegas. You are not married to her, bonded with her, so you are free to find a new omega. I have a bunch—eight are available right now and three will be in heat within the next two weeks—and you could find an adorable one right here. Or I can use my connections and find you whatever shape and size and features you want so you can have another just like her.”

She shrugged again. “Or, if you’re a family man, then you and I can get together. I’m not keen on having pups—I’d rather you got an omega to do that—but we are...very compatible. Getting the fighting thing going, and you and I become Sapporo’s power couple. You are the alpha man that everyone is talking about. I have the money and the connections and you and I can work it all out. I can finance your fights, your travels. Hell, I can help you start a school here—some nice place with a lot of press and everything. Everyone will want to go to the champion’s school, right?” She rubbed her raised fingers together. “And that will translate to a lot of money for us.”

Ryu blinked in surprise, pulling back from her with a frown. “But the pups...?”

She let out an annoyed sound. “If you insist, we could see if we could find the pups.” Cocking her head, Trini rolled her eyes. “One of my buddies usually has an omega that has just weaned and still has milk if you’re picky. Any ideas where she’ll whelp?”

Ryu’s face screwed up in disgust. “You make her sound like a rogue dog.”

“Isn’t that just about what they are?” Trini sauntered over to lean against a wall near him. “I mean, they just lay down with their legs spread for anyone who is in the vicinity don’t they?”

Ryu stood up slowly, glowering at her. “Hardly....”

“Well, I have to tell you—it does sound like an easy way to make a living.” She finished the tea and shrugged. “Just lay back and let it happen, then let the alpha do all the work. Sounds like an easy life to me.”

He shuddered. “Easy?! You think being an omega is easy?”

“Darling—it’s all laying back, isn’t it? Just laying back and giving it up during the heat. Then the alpha takes care of the details, gives up their cash and time, and everything. Hell, half of them or more don’t even really raise their pups, do they?” She smirked. “Mine don’t—they just stick around for a couple of months until the pups are ready to go onto baby food. Sometimes they don’t even stay that long—the contract says that they disappear after the birth and the happy customers start the pups on a bottle immediately.”

“That is not—.”

“Not what? Not reasonable? Not healthy?” She scowled back at him. “Not motherly?” She shrugged. “It is, however, profitable, my Ryu. Enough to afford whatever we want. You want an omega? Sure—let’s find one you like. You want pups?” She shrugged again, waving her fingers. “Why not? There’s enough room here.” She smiled thinly, purring. “We can still be together, Ryu. The world is our oyster—all we have to do is take it.”

He scowled, pushing her aside as he left the room. “Just forget it, Trini.”

She smirked as she set down the cup. “Look, Ryu—forget her. She’s just an omega. There are a dozen or more that I can find that are just like her.” She spread her arms and smiled at him as she stroked. “But what we have, that’s priceless. I’m an alpha. You’re an alpha. What are the chances that we get together? What are the chances that we even meet, let alone that we are so compatible? We can be the couple that everyone wants to be—the it couple. And who knows what we can accomplish together? Hell, even our pups together would be unstoppable.”

Ryu shuddered for a moment, his mouth flooded with bitterness. “Take me back, Trini.”

“No, Ryu,” she smirked, shaking her head. “Not until you see that my way is best. Baby—can’t you see that? I’ll give you whatever you want. Even this omega—if she turns up, I can get a hold of her. I can bring her here and there’s a cozy little omega cage all waiting for her. We can take the pups, raise them.” She stroked his shoulder with a predatory grin. “Your pups would be the apple of my eye, I assure you.”

He kept gathering his things. The estate was a grand one, but it seemed hollow and empty and suddenly ugly. The rooms were overdone, overblown and—honestly—idiotic. He glanced out a window and saw the oversized building at the far end of the estate.

Walking out, he stalked to the building. The door he kicked open, barely straining. The large building was dark and lined with chain link cages. He growled, turning the lights on and hearing the chorus of soft whines. Stalking down the aisle, he peered into each cage. Trini had space for twelve and there were nine omegas including a beautiful one with long red hair and blue eyes and a red tag dangling from the piercing in her ear.

The omegas all yawned sleepily and crept forward to the doors to look up at him as he walked. He stared at them as the mix of scents swirled around him. A timid hand reached through a chain link door to stroke his leg and he just about jumped out of his skin.

The little omega with the coffee colored skin looked up at him, her amber eyes wide and questioning. “Are you...here to claim one of us?”

Another one piped up, “Claim me, alpha.”

“Me, alpha.”

“No...me, alpha. Please.”

The high pitched whines surrounded him as all of them pushed against the fencing to try and look at him. All of the omegas were keening now, slender fingers reaching towards him through the chain link fencing. He took a steadying breath and walked back through.

Each omega was lithe and long haired, their eyes wide and shiny. He walked back down to the end of the aisle. The two cages at the end were easily two and a half times larger than the rest of them. The mats in the regular cages—even the empty ones—were two inches thick with a sheet, but the ones in these two cages had no sheets. Those mats had a corner with padding attached to the fencing—he guessed for a nest area. There was also a small vent in the wall just beyond the chain link walls.

He heard Trini’s voice behind him. “Those are the nesting shelters.” He looked at her. “I only have two here, but then—I don’t keep the bred ones here.” She shrugged and the omegas backed away as she walked between the cages. “The vents keep them warm since they can’t have sheets or blankets. And we put a water bottle on them.”

Ryu went to one of the occupied cages. A sloe eyed Japanese girl looked up at him and there was a water bottle attached to the door. It looked a little like a huge, two-liter hamster bottle with a thick metal tube going through the chain link fencing. The tube was shaped like an erect cock with a bead in the bottom. He could reach through the wire and touched the bead and a trickle of water came through.

The tagged redhead looked up at him and Trini, biting her lip. When she turned to crawl back to her mat, Ryu saw a ladder-like series of thin red lines along her back. Every move she made was stiff and she panted to get to the back of the cage. He walked to her cage, curious, as she slowly lowered herself to lay down on the mat and look back at him.

“Don’t mind her, Ryu,” Trini drawled. “She’s just upset that she’s being punished. Snapped at a client of mine who was interested in contracting her that she wanted to stay with her pups and nurse them.”

Ryu kept watching. Her expression did not change at all once she laid down, she only stared at them with empty eyes. He smacked the chain link door, making a rattle that sent the others into little whines and whimpers, but she only looked up at him. Her face was pale and her blue eyes were dull and lifeless. He had seen broken or unconscious fighters with more lively faces. 

“You interested in her?” Trini went somewhere and pulled out a ring of cards. One hand slid the card in the reader as the other stroked his back. “Go on in.”

Ryu pulled open the door and slipped inside, feeling instantly claustrophobic. She didn’t move, didn’t even seem to blink, as she laid there at his feet. He squatted down, reaching out to her. Surprisingly, she neither accepted nor rejected his movement—neither rolling forward towards him nor backing away. He murmured to her in a gruff and gentle tone, his hand landing on her shoulder. “Hey, there.”

She shuddered, her skin jerking in a way that reminded him of a horse’s skin flicking off flies. Her eyes looked up into his without emotion, not even a flicker of omega curiosity or interest. When his fingers brushed against one of the bruises, her eyes only closed slightly. 

In a softer tone, he asked, “What’s your name?”

She looked up at him slowly, but said nothing. He looked at her closely and a shiver went down his spine as he got the distinct feeling that she was not even seeing him, didn’t even hear him. Restlessly, he put one finger on her cheek and brushed a thread of hair behind her ear. Again, there was almost no response.

He gave her a gentle smile, feeling like he was smiling into a void. No wonder Ken had told him all those things, been so understanding of Hana’s outbursts. There was nothing here—no spirit, no reaction. It was like looking into a doll’s face, a corpse’s face. She was simply defeated as he stroked her and didn’t seem to have any interest in whatever he did to her. He lowered his voice, moved slow and kept low like he had seen Hanzo do. “You don’t need to answer me now, omega. Just rest.”

He noticed that she didn’t even react when he stood up. Walking out, he watched as Trini closed the door behind him. “Is she okay?”

Trini nodded efficiently. “Just been snappy lately. The trainer felt she’d do better like this, so I tagged her and she’s off the rotation for now.” Her purple eyes snapped with speculation. “Unless you’re interested?”

He shook his head, glancing at her. The red haired omega just stared at their feet, not even moving. Hana had been so different from this one—lively and smiling and eager. Even Master Gouken had been impressed with her, respected Hana. The old Master would have never so readily extended his respect to the tagged omega. He would have readily protected her, offered him the same good advice, but he would not have been so pleased with her.

Trini came up and nodded. “As I told you, I have eight in rotation here. Room for more. Even a nesting cage for the omega who is carrying or caring for pups.” Her eyes glittered smugly. “Our pups, maybe?”

“These cages are like four feet deep. They barely have room to move in them,” Ryu hissed.

“Sure they can move. All they like. And the breeders have more room yet.”

“You keep them in the dark. You keep them locked up. You keep them like animals.”

“This is the state required space and facilities. I’m fully licensed and bonded and inspected yearly.” She shrugged. “This is practically spacious. And they get brought out to walk about a bit once they put their leashes and bridles on three times a day. They get food, water, vitamins. Everything they need without doing a lick of work.”

“They are not animals. Not like this.” He sighed. “It’s inhuman to keep them like this.”

She laughed coldly. “‘Inhuman’?! You mean...inhuman like when you went after that guy in the fight? Like when you beat those guys in the club to hell? You are more inhuman than me, Ryu.

“I keep them safe—keep the estate secure and this building locked. I don’t know what else you expect me to do.” She shrugged. “You just about killed five people that I know of and you’re suddenly worried about a handful of pathetic omegas? Are you some kind of lunatic or just a hypocrite?”

Ryu stalked out. She was right—he had just about killed those fighters. He had wanted to kill Vega. And he was planning on killing Akuma. He looked at Trini sadly, asking the question more to himself than to her. “So at what point did you decide that your life was worth more than theirs?”

She stared at him in shock and he did not wait for an answer as he walked to her car. Her car was unlocked and he pulled out his heavy bag. The pants and shirt felt like they were suddenly too small for him. He walked down the winding driveway, ignoring the carefully tended bushes and plants as the winter wind whistled around him.

He had almost reached the end of the driveway when he heard the rumble of a car motor behind him. Trini’s elegant sports car pulled up beside him and she rolled the window down. “Ryu! Come on!”

He shot her a glare. “I’m leaving, Trini.”

“Just get in and I’ll drive you back to town.”

Cursing himself for being a hundred kinds of a fool, he did get in with his bag in his lap. “What is it now?”

She drove through the gate, opening it with her remote before closing it again and turning on to the highway. “Look, Ryu. I get it that we’re...having some difficulty now.”

“Really?” he snorted. “What made you think that?”

“I just need to have you fight in Tadao’s fight.” She snarled at him. “I need you to do this.”

He growled at her. “Why?”

“I need you to get me his backing,” she hissed, going around a small tan car as she pulled out onto the highway. Her eyes darted to him. “I’ll double your fee.”

He snorted, “That’s not the point.”

“No? I’ll triple it.”

“That’s insane, Trini.”

She passed another car. “With what I’ll get by expanding my operations? It’s peanuts.” She shrugged. “Besides, I thought you wanted the fight.”

He thought for a moment. “I do want the fight. I need to keep training.”

“So do the fight.”

“Keep your money.” He looked her up and down. “I’ll do the fight, but I want you to do something for me.”

She grinned in satisfaction. “Perfect.”

He grinned in return, feeling a flush of mischief. “I want you to live as an omega for a weekend.”

“What?!” She whipped the car back into her lane, narrowly missing an oncoming truck. “What are you talking about?”

“Be an omega for a weekend.” He shrugged. “Live like one of them.” His eyes narrowed at her. “If it’s as easy as you say, then it should be a piece of cake.”

“Hell,” she cursed. “That’s a bargain.” She frowned slightly. “But if I do something like that around here, I’ll be ruined.”

Ryu nodded. “Fine.” His eyes narrowed and his smirked darkly. “You can do it in my province. Near my dojo is a small town.”

“Can’t wait,” she muttered sourly. “So do you want to see the place where the fight is?”

He nodded slowly. She drove to an empty looking field, rain dampened field and pointed. “That’s where Tadao is going to set it up. All of the other fields are used for soybeans and rice and sweet potatoes. He has contracts with a local sake brewery for all his rice and then a local restaurant buys all the rest.” She pointed to a sign on a fence that said, ‘SB129’. “There is no other place he could do it.” She looked at his solemn face. “If it snows, then he’ll have it swept for the fight, but otherwise, it is pretty much as you see it.”

He looked at the flat, grassy area and nodded. They were in winter, and he would have to be careful of rocks, potentially ice if the warm spell broke. “It’s good enough.”

“So you’ll do the fight?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

Trini nodded and began driving again. They quickly got to town and she pulled into the gym parking lot. She grinned at him. “So I guess that we’re on in a few weeks.” She shrugged, pulling out a phone. “Tadao just gave me the date and time. Two weeks from today at 9:00 p.m.”

He nodded, opening the door and stepping out. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”

“Oh, Ryu—we’re on before then,” she smirked. “I’m already on your schedule a few times.”

He glanced at her and rolled his eyes. “We’ll see.” He looked up at the building. “I need to train.”

“You always need to train.” She sighed impatiently. “Fine. Whatever. Go train. Just come back and win.” Fiddling around, she handed him a card. “And think about my offer. I’ve got money and omegas and we’ve had a good time before, right?” When he said nothing, she snapped. “Not to mention that without me, you won’t get anywhere, will you? You never would have known of the club or had Tadao’s fight without me.”

He nodded slightly, his cheeks turning red. “I suppose.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

With that, she revved the engine and drove off. Ryu watched as she screeched around the corner and disappeared. Then he went inside to train. It felt like he was training for the first time again. His mind felt abruptly clearer as he began stretching and warming up, as though he had been drinking or something.

Now, if only he could keep his focus as clear as it was now. He could hear Master Gouken’s voice in his head, counting steadily as he breathed, as he moved. Everything he had ever heard flowed back through him in a soothing soundtrack.

He walked back to his room, stopping for a bowl of vegetarian noodles along the way. The noodles were tasty enough, but again the flavors were all but lost to him. If only he could find Akuma, find some sign of Hana, he would be be able to relax. Even Master Gouken would say that he needed to relax at this point.

Two weeks passed him by as he trained almost every waking hour. He did finally agree to spend another few hours with Trini, going to a party with her, because Tadao was there and he wanted to make sure that he was going to go to the fight. He only nodded cooly as Trini draped herself over his arm. Tadao smirked, telling him about two of the contenders and the handful of others.

“You know, Ryu—I am glad to know you will be there. Half these fighters are beginners. No talent. No drive.” He puffed his chest. “But to see a master of the martial arts, that is what I want.”

“I appreciate you hosting the fight.” Ryu nodded slowly. “I hope I do not disappoint.”

“Oh, I’m sure you won’t,” he grinned.

“Then I will see you there.”

Tadao nodded again. “And I don’t mind telling you—this has grown far larger than I anticipated. Apparently you have quite a following.” He smirked. “A large man stopped me just a few days ago, to ask if you will be there.”

Ryu’s ears suddenly flamed and his body stiffened. “What man?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t catch his name, but if I see him there, I will point him out to you.”

“What did he look like?”

“Big fellow, very muscular with choppy red hair. He had prayer beads like a monk, but—,” Tadao shuddered, “—if he was a holy man, then I am a baboon.”

Ryu shuddered softly. “Did he...did he say if he would be there?”

Tadao nodded and Ryu thought that he felt even Trini start. “He said that it was one of the few pleasures granted him now—to see a master fight in a tournament.”

Ryu nodded in pleasure. “Thank you, my friend.”

“Oh, ho! Now I’m your friend!” Tadao laughed. “And here I thought...well, never mind. Females cannot truly grasp such things, can they?”

Ryu flushed. “Did the man have an omega with him?”

“No, I can’t say that he did.” Tadao’s eyes sharpened. “Is she cute? Have you seen her?” He sighed in polite pleasure. “I would pay for one of those pups.” Ryu snorted and Tadao shrugged. “Where would we be without omegas and each new generation to teach?”

And with that, Ryu felt his determination renewed. At last he felt some hope, a fragile feeling of light in the past weeks of darkness. “Thank you again, Tadao-san.”

Trini was preening again as they left. Automatically, they stepped into the sports car. “So you are pleased with me again?”

Ryu nodded slightly. “At least he’s going to be there.” He tapped the car door restlessly as the streetlights and trees went past. “I can grab him and see if I can get some answers. Maybe even find out where Hana is.”

“She can come with us, you know—.”

“Trini—she’s so close to having the pups now.” He shuddered. “The only other time I know I’ll see him is at the tournament.”

“She’s going to be huge.” Trini flushed and scowled. “There is no telling what kind of wreck—.”

“Trini!”

“Don’t scold me. It’s the truth.”

He rolled his eyes impatiently. “Just take me back.”

When she took him back to the hostel, he went to the phone. Again the screen was blank and there were no messages. Still restless, he called Ken and couldn’t help smiling when the American finally answered the phone. “Hey Ken.”

The other man let out a happy whoop. “Ryu! Good to hear from you. What’s up?”

Ryu flicked his fingers through his hair. “Not...nothing. I guess. I don’t know.”

“You sure?” There was a pause. “You don’t sound good.”

“I know,” Ryu replied. “I’m going a bit stir crazy, I guess. I.... This woman I know has gotten a fight together.”

“That’s good news, I guess? Isn’t it?”

“Yeah—it is.” He groaned a bit. “It’s nothing big, but I know her and the guy running it and they’ve hyped it up. Maybe Akuma heard about it and that I was going to be there.”

Ken yawned sleepily. “Yeah—maybe.”

“I thought he might have Hana close by.”

Eliza’s voice hummed in the background and Ken gave her a noisy smacking kiss. “Umm...we’re like about to go to bed. Is there anything that I can do for you? Send the plane or something?”

“Not really—it’s just out of town. Trini is giving me a ride.”

“Wait.... Who’s Trini?” Ken smirked. “You dog. Running two women at the same time. Wish I could do that.” There was a loud thudding sound and Ken laughed. Sounds of a ruckus filled the phone along with Eliza’s laughing. Finally, he came back, with Eliza shouting and a door slamming. “Ryu is on the phone, Eliza. Let me talk!”

Ryu sighed. “It’s all I can think of, Ken. It’s the only way I can maybe get a hold of her before she has her pups.”

“Yeah, man.” Ken let out an impatient sound. “It’s getting close.” There was another short pause. “Why don’t you let Hanzo know?”

“Hanzo? He’s hours away.”

“Yeah,” Ken admitted. “But he can maybe let the local boys know. Or hell, maybe he’ll want to see you? Give him a try.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Ryu sighed again. “Wish me luck.”

“I would...but you don’t need it.”

“Thank you, my friend.” He glanced at the clock on his phone. “I’ll do that in the morning.”

“Do it now.”

Ryu let out an impatient sound. “Maybe when I get a chance.”

“When’s the fight anyway? Is it going to be televised?”

He laughed. “Not hardly. It’s not even a real match—just an idiot with too much money trying to fill the time. And at 9:00 on Friday? No one is even going to be out of the bars.”

“Are you sure? You do have a following.” Ken gave a laugh. “I mean at least figure out someone to take pictures. I can have my techno-master do you up a quick site....”

“No.” Ryu sighed. “Look—I just need to sleep.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to call anyone? I mean—if Akuma is going to be there—? Don’t you need backup?”

Ryu just grunted. “If I fail, I won’t be around to have backup.”

“Okay, dude.” Ken laughed in a nervous way. “In that case, I’ll look forward to hearing from you later.”

Ken stared at his phone as it went dead. Ryu wasn’t going to call anyone—he just knew it. With a heavy sigh, he dialed again. “Hey—Hanzo? Umm...I need a favor.”


	30. Chapter 30

Hana knew on some level that the pups were close when Akuma came back to the cabin. She had felt listless, her belly huge and everything aching. She still cooked and cleaned. She still bathed the large man when he requested it like he had tonight.

“Do not dawdle,” he grunted. “I even brought up the water for you.”

“Yes, alpha.”

He smiled at her evilly. “And when your heat comes, I will be there for you as well. Is that not considerate of me?”

“Yes, alpha.” She poured the almost boiling water into the tub. In the deep winter, this high up in the mountains, the water heater was almost outmatched and gave only warm water at best. So, like tonight, he would have her boil a huge pot of water and the kettle full of water to add to the tub. “Thank you, alpha.”

“I am taking you to the city tomorrow.” He shrugged as she struggled to bring the pot of water over to the tub. She gasped and looked at him hopefully. “Your Ryu is going to fight and I think I should be there.” Hana nodded without thinking. “I have to see how well he’s been training, how he’s been progressing, without you.”

She glanced down nervously as she poured the water into the tub. The pups kicked her then and she let out a nervous gasp. Hana stared nervously at the lump as it fluttered out of her and then back in.

“That was a mighty kick,” Akuma observed cooly. He patted her idly. “Just imagine how much my litters will rip through you.” She had nothing to say, only to bring the kettle over to the tub and begin pouring it in. “And then I will have a true challenge.

“If only there was a way to have them grow up sooner.” He smirked up at her as she gathered the washcloth and the bar of soap. “Some way that it did not take them twenty years to become a fighter with strength to challenge me.”

He looked back up at her. “I suppose that you will not be able to go down as fast as I with those pups in your stomach.”

“I will do my best,” she murmured. Her hands went to her belly, covering the pups with her fingers. “Alpha.”

He shrugged. “I will expect nothing less.”

Hana nodded again, stepping back slightly. He splashed the water over his dirty hands and arms before washing his hair. Finally she knelt and timidly whispered, “What will you do with me while you are...at the fight?”

He shrugged. “Do you want to watch your Ryu die?” He laughed when she flinched. “I will see how I feel after we get to town.” He shrugged. “Perhaps I will take you to a shelter to wait during the fight.”

“A-a-a-are you going to fight him?”

Akuma shrugged again. “Perhaps. Perhaps being defeated again will make him strong enough.” A splash. “Perhaps I will—unfortunately—need to wait for the final two months until the tournament.”

She was trembling as she cleaned up the cabin. To go to a town—to see anyone else. She glanced out the window at the silvery snow covered forest. It seemed like a fairy tale now—to go to a city with lights and heat and other people. Even...even a shelter with its antiseptic smells and its tiny cage would be welcome because they would call for a midwife for the pups. Her back ached unbearably for a moment and she missed what he said.

“Are you listening, omega?”

“I’m...I’m sorry, alpha.” She flushed and looked away. “I was...distracted.”

“Distracted?” He snarled at her. “I thought that you would have to be in heat to be so distracted.” He shrugged. “Perhaps I should leave you behind after all.”

“No...No! I’ll be fine.”

“Get some sleep tonight. It is a long walk down to the road.”

Hana nodded and went to the bunk to sleep. The night hours passed by restlessly, but swiftly. Even in her dreams, she prayed for Ryu to live and for her pups to be safe as she walked down empty hallways and streets. Early in the morning, Akuma shook her awake and she staggered to the irori to revive the fire and begin cooking breakfast.

“Not today, omega,” he snapped as he grabbed up the two skins—the deer skin and the wolf skin and one of the bamboo switches. “We travel downhill and we do not have much time.”

They walked downhill, but there was no path that Hana could see. He simply walked downhill, slapping her with the switch when she slowed. She looked at the thin line of road downhill and a blue car whizzing down it.

“Oh, and omega? No talking to anyone. As far as anyone knows, we are traveling together and you are mine. You disobey me, then I will kill them and your pups and give Ryu your head.”

Hana gasped, her feet suddenly frozen to the ground. “What?!”

His growl chilled her, “You heard me. I’m not going to repeat myself.”

She walked with him as best she could. Unfortunately, the ground was slick and uneven and her pregnancy made her unsteady even on the flat parts. To her surprise, when she finally collapsed in the snow on the path, he merely wrapped the wolf skin around her. Putting the deer skin on the ground, he had her sit on it and began dragging it like a sled. It was not a comfortable ride, but it was at least a ride.

Once he got to the road, he did have her get off and start walking again. It was hard and she was slow as she waddled. He pulled out a string and tied it around her neck, leading her down the road. She was cold and felt weak as she stumbled after his long-legged pace. Blindly, she kept walking down the asphalt.

Thankfully, a rusty old van stopped and a stringy young man rolled down the window. “Hey, Mister. Awful cold for your omega, isn’t it?” Akuma snorted and shrugged. “If she can sit in the back then I can give you a ride.”

“Oh? How far are you going?”

“I’m going into Sapporo and then down 36 to Tomakomai.”

Akuma glanced over to a shivering Hana. Her green eyes looked up at him as she shook from underneath the skin. “It would be good of you to give us a ride.”

“Just give me your blessing, holy man,” the driver smirked. “Come on in.”

Akuma grinned as the ancient van’s doors unlocked. He pulled open the sliding door and looked at the wide open space with the various toolboxes and the shelves and hooks that held bundles of wires and more tools. The floor was bare metal and slick with rain or melted snow, but there was enough room to sit. He pointed to Hana and then inside the van. “Get inside, omega.”

The skinny driver smirked at her and waved. “Hey there, girl. How are you?”

Hana bit her lip, looking up at Akuma. The big alpha gave her a scowl and then smirked at the driver. “You will have to understand.” He patted her head and rubbed the back of his rough hand over her jaw. “She has been a chatterbox. I am having to punish her and she is forbidden from talking today.”

“Oh man,” he replied, looking at him with sympathy. “That sucks, ‘cause I’ll bet she has a pretty voice.”

Akuma growled low at her. “Get inside and say nothing, omega.”

She didn’t need to be told twice and slid inside, wrapped in the skin. The van floor was cold, but there was a heat vent that stuttered warm air between the two front seats. She began her silent prayers again, repeating them as the massive alpha got into the passenger seat and they began driving.

“So what’s her name?” the driver was chirping as he turned down the radio station. “My mother’s name was Hana.”

“Really?”

“Yeah...she was.... Well.” There was a long an uncomfortable pause. “Where are you headed? Anywhere in particular?”

“There is a fight in Sapporo.”

“A fight? You fight?” The driver wriggled about. “Well, I guess with that build you are good at it.” Akuma’s seat shifted slightly. “That’s so cool. I mean—all I do is fix stuff. Electrician like my father.”

Akuma gave him some kind of approving sound and then the driver kept talking. “So how do you manage to get an omega? I mean, my dad and I have been saving for years and we’re only halfway through saving enough to adopt a beta child. It’s going to be a long time before my mate and I can have a family.” The driver shifted around. “Say, when is your omega going to whelp?”

“Fairly soon,” Akuma murmured.

“Hey, man—I know that you don’t know me, but could I ask?”

“Ask what?”

“Are all your pups contracted yet?”

Akuma shifted uncertainly. “Contracted?”

“Yeah, man. Who can afford a whole pack of pups? I sure as hell can’t. So those who have a lot of pups can make some good money contracting privately for them to be adopted. With the rates and the cuts going everywhere to all the handlers and managers and finders, it’s hellishly expensive to go through the adoption centers even for beta kids. So smart folks contract with a pair so that when the babies come, they get first pick. The alpha gets a better cut, too—so it works out for everyone.”

Akuma took a long pause and then said in a careful tone, “The pups are coming soon, and they are not contracted as you so cleverly put it—.”

“Then...maybe—?”

“I think I want to see them first.”

“Oh. Damn—here I thought that it was my lucky day.” The driver shifted again. “Well...at least someone is going to have pups. But if you change your mind, here is my card. You can give me a call if you decide not to keep them all.”

“I will think about it.”

“Great. Thanks man. It would mean so much to my old man if...well....”

Hana whimpered, curling up slightly as they began listening to the radio and occasionally talking again. Thankfully, there was no other talk about the pups. Unfortunately, they kept kicking her. Once she was forced to lay down in the van as they stretched and pushed against her lungs. The miles flew on and on as she managed to get back upright.

“We will stop here at this temple for the night,” Akuma finally said. “Turn here and we will be gone in a few miles.”

“Oh? I thought you were all the way to Sapporo?” The van rumbled as it pulled off the road. “I mean...it’s not much, but the family would be glad to host you and your omega. Let them meet the pups.” Akuma snorted. “We’re betas—no competition. But we’d love to have you for dinner.”

Akuma laughed. “I would, but my omega is absolutely obsessed with one of the street fighters.”

“With you as an alpha? Man, you allow that?” He laughed. “What does she want with those guys when she has you?”

Akuma laughed heartily. “I do not know myself, but who can understand omegas?”

“I suppose.” They laughed together, only the alpha was dripping ice from his every word. “It kind of makes me glad I’m a beta and I don’t have to deal with it.”

“She is such a bother, I am considering just leaving her at a shelter.” Akuma glanced over his shoulder with a sharp toothed grin. “I have no idea how I am going to deal with her while I watch the fight.”

“She’s not going to want to watch, is she?”

Akuma laughed. “She wants to, but I am not so sure with the pups so close.”

“What a nut. Hey man, she sounds certifiable to me.” The van rolled to a stop. “Why don’t you see if someone has a box in town? There’s a guy in the city who builds them. Maybe I can hook you up.”

“Thank you, but no,” Akuma murmured. “Let me just step inside and greet them and see about a room for the night.” He smirked over at Hana. “Stay there omega.”

Hana nodded, curling into a slightly tighter knot. The van shifted and the passenger door slammed.

“So, omega—you back there?” The driver looped around and she saw his nose and a bit of his chin. “Hey, you’re alpha is something, isn’t he? He win a lot of tournaments?” A pause. “Oh, yeah, right. No talking. Sucks.”

He turned to the radio and turned up the music. Quite soon, the van was vibrating slightly as he hummed and sung softly as he tapped on the steering wheel. Hana shivered despite the heat flowing through the battered vents. She leaned closer to one of the naked speakers to listen to the snappy tune.

After far too long, Akuma stalked up to the van and opened the side door. “We will be staying here tonight.” He snapped and Hana did not dare even look at him. The quiet seemed suddenly more oppressive and she looked at his feet. “Come omega.”

Hana slid out, not even looking at the driver or the battered van. He swung the bamboo switch at her legs to keep her walking. He barely waved at the electrician and Hana let out a deep breath she didn’t know she had been holding as the van drove away.

Akuma did not disappoint, either. Starting just inside the massive wooden doors, bodies were everywhere in broken lumps. Hana’s eyes went wide and she barely made it to a trashcan before retching in broken sobs and heaves. He waited as she sobbed, only to begin switching her legs to drive her to a room.

There was only a blood smear on the floor in this room and Hana was glad to be in it once the door slammed. This was someone devoted soul’s cell—stone walls and elaborate ironwork over the high, small window. It was desolate except for an acolyte’s spare robes and a worn futon.

A bit later, she was released to go fix dinner. Filled with silent prayers and sobbing as she worked, she fixed every single bit of food in the temple and presented him with it all. Surely, he couldn’t eat all that—a pound of rice, a huge bowl of beans, another bowl of dumplings, a whole chicken, a bag of apples and oranges cut into quarters.... Dish after dish, she carried them to what appeared to be a communal dining room.

“You are celebrating the fight, omega?” He gave her a speculative purr. “Is it my victory or your release to a shelter that you are craving so badly?”

Hana shrugged and went back into the kitchen. There was a rather unexpectedly large bottle of sake hidden in the cupboard. Now seemed like a good time to bring it out. She sat it down in front of him along with a cup.

“Getting me drunk will not stop me from annihilating your Ryu, omega.” She reached for the bottle nervously, to whisk it away, and his hand clamped down on her wrist. She let out a pained whine and left it alone. “Leave it—I will celebrate your Ryu’s defeat.”

Hana brought out an empty dish hopefully. Akuma generously scooped out some of the food and she nibbled at it as he managed to empty every dish. Even the huge bottle of sake was emptied, though he seemed to be as stone cold sober as when he started. He ate every other morsel, even the chicken bones were picked clean.

She scooped up the empty dishes and went back to the kitchen to wash them. Ignoring the bloodstains and bodies, she turned on the water to fill the huge sink and offered up a prayer for the people who died. She did wonder if she dared to try and find a phone and dial the emergency number to get the police, but it was a pointless gesture and she knew it. Akuma would not have any respect for the bodies—the lives of those who died here—and would likely have no problem killing whoever came to investigate. She certainly did not need him to be angry with her, especially not so close to the fight he was expecting Ryu to attend.

He locked her in the cell for a few hours and went to train. She gave them all a brief prayer but then she went to sleep, a quick nap. He woke her up and they began walking away from the temple. She huddled back under the skin as she walked down the driveway, flinching as he switched her legs.

“Stop, omega,” he hissed. “Turn and see the power of Satsui no Hado.”

Stiffly, she turned towards the empty temple. He raised his fists and she saw purple lightning gather around them. With an angry cry, the ball flashed forward and the temple seemed to explode with unholy power as it hit. The fire bursting out and engulfing the ancient timbers was almost anticlimactic.

She kept praying as he drove her on. Please let Ryu live. Please let his pups live. Cars rushed past them on the road and she largely ignored them. Finally another car picked them up and she sank into the back seat gratefully. Her ankles hurt again and she felt so sore and annoyed beyond measure that the idiot teenaged girl driving bought Akuma’s lies.

There was some kind of annoyingly bouncy K-pop medley on the one crackly speaker as they passed the sign for Sapporo. A poster board sign was tied under the street sign saying ‘Fight’ with an arrow underneath it.

“Take the next right,” Akuma said softly.

“You sure?” She giggled. “Are you going to that fight?”

He nodded. “I am hoping to see someone there.” He smirked at her. “You might say he is dying to see me.”

“Sure thing, dude,” she smirked again. “I haven’t ever seen one. Is it fun?”

Akuma laughed and Hana saw the seat jerk under his bulk. “I find it very entertaining.”

“What about the omega? She gonna be okay?”

Akuma shrugged. “I will make sure of that.”

It was late in the evening when he got to the field. A handful of handwritten signs pointed the way and it was hard to miss the huge construction lights that illuminated the field. Hana stared with wide eyes as she saw muscular men start to arrive. By some kind of silent agreement, they each went to a separate area and began stretching and warming up. A truck pulled up and more men crawled out to put up lines of flags in a sort of rectangle for the fight space and to set up a few folding chairs.

Hana bowed her head and followed the string around her neck as the wind picked up some more. The rough twine kept tangling in the chain of bells and scraping her neck and he was walking so quickly it kept jerking her. Her eyes stayed focused on the rough, dark jacket and the bloody looking character on the back. She shivered in the chill, tugging the deer skin closer around her.

“Cold, omega?” he asked lightly.

Hana nodded slightly. “I am...a little.”

It was too much to expect him to be sympathetic, even when she let out a whoosh of air as the pups kicked her again. Instead, he laughed, “Too bad, omega.” He shrugged. “At least the wind is pushing your scent away.”

Unfortunately, right at that moment, one of the burly fighters with purple spiky hair and a small backpack bumped into her. She staggered slightly, and then stumbled to catch up with Akuma, but it was far too late.

Akuma stopped short and growled at the fighter. “What is the problem?”

The other man offered a sheepish smile, “Hey, man, sorry. I-I-I wasn’t paying attention.” He smiled down at Hana. “I really am sorry.” Hana stared up at him and shivered as her eyes went back to Akuma. The fighter gave her a short bow. “And damn—I must have gotten caught in the chain and scratched your skin.” He dug in his backpack. “Hold on, I’ve got something for that.”

Akuma took a breath in with a growl. “That is not necessary.” He glared down at Hana, wrapping the twine around his fist and shortening the slack. “Be careful next time.”

The other man glanced up with a look of surprise. “You sure? I wouldn’t want that to become a nasty infection or anything.”

“She was entirely too careless.”

“O-o-okay. Say—if you want, I know one of the guys working here.” He shrugged slightly with a blush. “There’s not going to be any kind of omega boxes or anything, but I’ll talk to him and make sure that she can sit near one of the lights. She’ll be warmer and will be far back from the actual fighting.”

Akuma finally nodded. “That would be helpful.”

“Hey...if you like, I’ll even stand by her while you fight.”

“Hmmm.... I had wondered what to do with her.”

The other guy nodded uncertainly. “Yeah...just go to Nobu and he’ll help you get set up so your omega is safe.”

Hana was now almost tripping over Akuma’s large feet as he followed the other guy. Numbly, she went with them to one of the workers and then underneath one of the huge lights. At least it was a bit warmer as they used some plastic cable ties to tie her wrists to one of the legs of light. Akuma nodded as she huddled there, her eyes red as they looked up at him.

“You should be fine here, omega.” He shrugged. “And who knows? Maybe we will even see your Ryu.”

The other fighter came up with a heavy tarp in his hands. “I am sorry, man. I thought she’d be more comfortable if she was under this and out of some of the weather.” Akuma let him toss it over her. “Hey—they’re calling the fighters up.” He waved and turned to walk away. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Indeed.”

Hana sighed and huddled under the tarp. Akuma stood over her as the fighters began to gather, looking over the field. Just as the improvised loudspeaker boomed that the fight was about to begin, a low-slung sports car roared up. Finally, Akuma grinned. He smacked the tarp carelessly, ignoring the whimper underneath. “And I do believe that Ryu has finally arrived.” Hana nodded, trying to peer out. “Now this is worth my time.”

Hana stared at Ryu as he stepped out with his huge duffle over his shoulder. He was somehow different—a wicked and impatient look to his snarling face and in his lope towards the field. In the uncertain and uneven light of the field, he looked almost unrecognizable. His eyes were so cold and calculating it gave her an even greater chill. Hana shifted, trying to get further upright, only to have Akuma’s huge paw hit her shoulder.

“I would not mind snapping your neck now,” he hissed without looking away from the field. The fighters were starting to separate into their areas. “A broken omega would not bother me in the least.”

Hana nodded slightly. A beautiful blonde woman got out of the car and sauntered up to Ryu. She had amazing long hair in an artful muss and wore buff colored high heeled boots. Her top was a white sleeveless jacket with careful zigzags that looked like tatters around the arms. Her pants were sleek and tight white pants that had more careful zigzags that fluttered over her boots. In addition, she wore a red satin ribbon around her head that waved like an echo of Ryu’s headband. She waltzed up to him, putting a proprietary arm around him as he went to claim a space on the edge of the field. The woman stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders and back and obviously smiling and talking in his ear. He looked at the field, nodding to something she said.

For some reason, seeing her behind Ryu, chatting and smiling and him nodding at her in return, snapped something inside Hana. Her shoulders jerked and she could not stop the sobs as they rose up. Even when the first fighters walked up to the field, she couldn’t see them as tears slid down her cheeks.

Finally, even Akuma noticed. “Are you crying omega? Over your Ryu and his latest conquest?” When she nodded, he chuckled. “Just think of how I will break him. If you like, you can pretend I am even doing it for you.” He paused for a moment or two, letting someone go in front of her. “I would suggest not trying to draw attention to yourself. Who knows what he would do if you were to pop up in front of his woman?”

He nodded, watching the fighters pummel each other. “Are you going to attract any attention, omega?” She shook her head, the bells jingling. “Are you going to be a good little omega and stay quiet?” Another jingle as her whole body shook. “Good. Just remember omega—I am quite close enough to kill you whenever I please.”

Hana nodded slowly, her sobs quieting as she stared at the ground. Akuma’s big feet walked away, going to the marked field and almost disappearing into the crowd as he began circling the field. The wind picked up and she couldn’t manage to find a way to get out of it as the crowd thickened and gave a wild cheer. Everything hurt, too—her back and her breasts and her stomach as she hunched over under the tarp.

Ryu glanced around the crowd, annoyed at the beginners who milled around him. Trini was continually crowding around him, her hands all over him. Whatever her perfume was, it was distracting him from the purity of the fight and he would order her to never wear it again. Perhaps smashing the bottle right in front of her would help her remember.

It felt like he was home, though—a rough field thick with the scent of sweat and the coppery tang of blood and the sounds of combat. He was impatient to be called. He had even stopped to greet Tadao and asked to be seeded last so that he could get into the fight sooner, but the old man had simply smiled and changed the subject. A few of the fighters even seemed to be...above average. His fists clenched as he waited to be called.

A voice did come up from behind him, calling “Ryu—it’s good to see you.”

He whirled, on edge and ready to fight, only to find Hanzo behind him. The other man was carrying a thick cane and dressed in a peculiarly dark kimono with leather tabi shoes. With a bow, Hanzo nodded towards the field. “I thought I would come see the spectacle.”

Ryu shrugged slightly, feeling Trini crowd closer to him again. “I don’t think you’ll be overly disappointed—as long as your hopes aren’t too high.”

Hanzo shrugged, his eyes going to Trini only to look up again at Ryu. “I will endeavor not to be disappointed if you win too easily.” He waved. “I do believe that your lady will be more comfortable in the chairs.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ryu barked, “Go find a seat, Trini. We’ll be here a while.”

“But darling!”

“No.” He gave her a cold stare and she shivered with a lick of her painted lips. “I told you—.”

As Trini flounced away to find a seat, Ryu leaned slightly closer to the other man. “Why are you here?”

“Your friend called me, saying that perhaps you would need someone watching your back.” He glanced around. “So which of these strapping men is the one you are looking for?”

Ryu blinked. He hadn’t even looked, really. Scanning the crowd, he finally saw the demon he had been hunting. The other man nodded with a demonic smile. Fury flushed through him. Why should he wait? Why should he bother with these pathetic beginners when he could just go across the field and be done?

“There,” he muttered, nodding his head. “The choppy red hair with the demon smile.”

Hanzo looked over the field again, his eyes not lingering for more than a second on anyone. “I see.” He looked around again. “And you think that he might have your omega with him?” Ryu nodded grimly. “I do not see anyone near him.”

Ryu grunted, hearing his name over the portable loudspeaker. “I’ll have to deal with him later.”

“I will walk around a bit—see if I can figure out anything.” Hanzo looked up at him with a grim nod. “I will come back here between your rounds.”

Trini had somehow managed to get a front row seat, a few chairs away from Tadao. She squealed happily and clapped as he got into the ring. He faced the other man without seeing him. Bowing, he was instantly charged with energy.

This puny fighter was no one. Barely worth his time—in fact, wasting his time. Ryu skidded across the grass and pounded into him. Before the other man could respond, he leapt away with his fists sparking. The purple ki surrounded him as he shot the ball across the field and it pounded into him to knock him back off his feet.

He paced back and forth, praying for his opponent to get up. This felt electric—amazing. He had been out of the tournaments too long. He smiled as the other man groaned and tried to rise. It was almost like the sheer power of a rut—the feeling of be strong and powerful and all the things he was supposed to be. A huge darkness seemed to come over him and he stared at the fallen man.

Another fighter came forward, jumping on him from behind. Ryu laughed for the joy of having someone to finally fight with. Who was this person? Who cared? He got him in a neck lock, everything tingling as he felt the other man’s joints crack out of place. The other fighter screamed and fell back.

God, it felt good to be back in the ring. Even if it was bitterly cold and slick under his feet. He grinned to see his opponent shiver, his face almost terrified to see the grin on Ryu’s face. The unknown guy suddenly didn’t matter anymore, as Ryu collected his ki in his fists. With a scream, he let the ball go and slam into him.

Ryu watched the fighter bounce and hit the ground. Grunting impatiently, he barely saw the unofficial referee signal the end of the match. Instead, he paced, eager for the next contender. Trini let out a cheer that sounded shrill and grating and that he ignored as he paced. Tadao nodded slowly and let out a clap.

The referee waved him off the field with a shout and he went back to the small area he had claimed. The other fighters stared at him with a mix of terror and grudging admiration. Two of them picked up their gear and backed away from him as he grinned at the ring. He never even realized his eyes were almost glowing in a rage filled red. He only saw one of them do a double-take and all but run to another space. He grinned at the last straggler who didn’t even stop but kept going past the field.

Hanzo picked his way around the field. Various groups were called and he dodged them neatly, leaning on his cane theatrically. No one paid him much attention as he walked, offering murmurs of encouragement or consolation as people came and went. He watched with half an eye as Ryu came forward with a manic smile on his face. The big man with the choppy hair was engrossed in the fight and not paying attention to others around him, but it was still prudent to go in a wide circle, sticking to the outer fringes of the crowd and outside the surrounding lights.

Numbed in every limb, Hana curled up under the tarp, almost unable to fathom the people moving back and forth. The sound of cheering rose and fell and she heard screams and shouts. Everyone ignored her and she was almost resigned to simply shivering here. Then, she felt a huge twist in her stomach. It was nothing like she had felt, and she desperately tried to twist, to flex or something. Nothing helped.

She heard, “Hadoken!” Ryu was here. She panted heavily. It was enough to hear him. She could wait here. She could do this. The pups were only stretching, getting ready for another position. A cheer went up and she leaned close to the steel leg. She had to wait was all, so she curled up tighter underneath the tarp to make herself as small as possible. She felt heavy footsteps—she could barely recognize Akuma’s huge feet—come close and forced herself to be silent. A huge hand patted the tarp twice and then the footsteps left as the pain receded.

She heard Ryu’s voice shout again as another wave of pain hit her back. More people were milling around in a confusing muddle of voices and steps. The pain pause, receding again just as she saw Akuma’s feet walking to another end of the field. A panicked moment later, she realized what was happening. Her children were coming and there was nothing she could do about it. Ryu let out another shout and then there was a cheer. There was nothing to do, nothing she could think of, except to bite the steel leg she was tied to to try to wait out the waves of pain. She was long since numb—immune to the cold and every pain as the cold froze her except for the wrenching pain. In fact, she was almost sleepy as a peculiar feeling of warmth started to creep along her hands and feet. Nothing was more important than to have these pups come well and to be as silent as Ryu wanted her to be.

Hanzo tiptoed up to the tarp. It was probably nothing more than a loose tarp over some construction equipment. In this wind, everything not nailed down was being blown around. He took another step forward and waited. He was about to dismiss it, to turn away, when he heard the softest moan and got a whiff of fear scent. The demonic looking figure was not interested in this match and Hanzo wisely elected to move on, stopping near the next lamp and leaning against it to rest his fake injury and look around again.

It took three more rounds for him to get back to stand where Ryu was coming back off the field. His face was fierce and all of his attention was on the men coming on the field. For a moment, Hanzo was reluctant to even approach him for a moment.

Instead, Ryu noticed him. “And?”

With a heavy sigh, he nodded and whispered, “By the lights. Under the tarp.”

Ryu nodded, glancing over his shoulder impatiently. “I can’t do anything.”

“Go. Fight.” Hanzo shrugged and pretended to limp past, whispering, “I will call for a vehicle, just in case.”

Ryu nodded, the other man already forgotten as he wheeled around to go back to to the field. Trini screeched out a pleased cheer as he got out there again. Walking back and forth, he grinned as finally another muscular man was shoved out onto the field. He was fresh meat and Ryu felt a thrill go through him again. This was like a never ending wave of pleasure and...fun, to watch them fall in front of him.

Master Gouken had never told him about this, though. It was like he had been only scratching the surface all these years. Now, all the power was at his fingertips. This was all there—all along. Never ending power had been at his fingertips and this had to be enough to defeat anyone who dared to face him. It felt like sex. Like a rut. It felt like the highest high, like he was practically flying. He was almost shaking with pleasure at the mere thought of this fight.

Then he saw Akuma grinning from over the guy’s shoulder—and everything clicked for him. A single bright purple ki blast and he went down. Ryu didn’t even stop, only crossed the field, stepping over the prone body without another thought.

Akuma sensed it too. With another demonic grin, he stepped onto the field. Abruptly, everyone went silent as they saw the two fighters face each other. They bowed slightly, a mockery of respect, and a fight so painfully precise it was like watch gears moving in concert with each other. Not a soul dared to move—not even Trini—as they faced each other. The cold wind blustered harder and everyone knew that one of the fighters would die.

They fought with expert skill. The fight see-sawed, one gaining an upper-hand for a few moments before losing it. With such a fight, it seemed to go on forever because the intensity packed in so many punches and kicks and strikes. Everything else faded for them into a blur of static as they focused solely on each other.

Hana huddled underneath the tarp, groaning as the pain kept going through her. More people walked around, almost blind to lump of tarp. She could tell the pains were growing in intensity but there was not really any way to tell exactly how long she had been there. Ryu. She could hear him fighting. She could hear Akuma’s angry voice. There was nothing else to do except to stay quiet and blindly hope.

Ryu couldn’t believe the amount of damage that the other fighter was taking. The dark power was more intense than anything he had ever felt and it seemed to flow off the bigger man like water off a duck’s back. He dodged around a series of kicks, feeling the wind shift. Nothing seemed to be affecting Akuma.

The wind shifted again, and rain started to sputter down. Ryu blocked a heavy attack and rolled away to get a better position. Another breath of wind hissed and he took in a deep breath. His nose burned and he knew that scent—Hana’s fear scent.

Startled, he barely managed to block the next attack. Everything seemed to freeze for a second as he tried to shake the feeling of suddenly being lost. Then everything collapsed into place—a block tower being poured from a bucket of toys.

Of course he couldn’t defeat Akuma with the Satsui No Hado.

Then he knew how to defeat him. The voice of Master Gouken rang in his head. The voices of all the past Shotokan masters filled him. All of their power—the power of Hado and the light—could fill him now. And he fought on.


	31. Chapter 31

Hana groaned as she heard the sudden silence. The pain was more than she could bear and she couldn’t help but be afraid as a long cheer rose up. All she could feel now was the cramping agony tearing through her core. She didn’t feel anything—her hands were so numb she couldn’t even move them and her legs no longer moved at all. There was a brilliant blue light that eclipsed the shout from the ring and then another silence. It was too much and she knew she had to lay down—no matter what, she needed to stretch out enough to make sure she could push out the pups.

The crowd cheered wildly, seeing Akuma defeated on the ground. Without hearing them, Ryu bolted to Hana’s side. He tugged off the tarp, looking wildly for Hanzo and not seeing him. A blast of fear scent surrounded him, and he turned Hana’s face to him. She looked up at him with pain in her green eyes and a thick layer of sweat over her body. She panted, jerking dizzily and kicking weakly at nothing.

“Hana?” His hands ghosted over her taut belly. “Hana—are you okay?”

She nodded slowly and...sleepily. “S-s-s-scared.”

“I know, Hana,” he nodded, stroking her gently. A brilliant set of headlights shown across the field as a large, oversized van with an official looking seal on the doors drove up nearby. He looked down at Hana, seeing her eyes grow wide. Looking up, he saw Hanzo coming closer with a large canvas bag of his own over his shoulder. “Hana...just listen to me. Can you do that?” He smiled as she nodded stiffly. “This man is from a shelter.”

Hana felt another pain in her belly. “No....”

Hanzo came forward with a pleased smile on his face and offered her a shallow bow. “So this is the mysterious Hana.” He dropped the bag and opened it up. Taking out a tool, he cut the ties around her wrists. With a careful look at the old chain, he took out another tool to cut the old links. The bells fell with a jangle and Ryu swept them away. He studied her for a moment and nodded. “I wish that we could meet under more...comfortable circumstances, but it is nice to finally see Ryu’s omega. You are the missing, Hana, correct?”

Ryu nodded. “This is my omega.” There was a pause and he picked her up. “Can we get her out of here?”

Hanzo nodded slowly. “Yes. The transport is over there.” Ryu began jogging towards the huge square van. “If we hurry, we can get her to a shelter where she can give birth.” He pulled out his phone. “Let me see if I can get a hold of a midwife.”

“Thank you,” Ryu panted, holding her to his chest. Hana let out a whine and jerked in his arms. “But we have to hurry.”

“The shelter is only fifteen minutes away,” Hanzo replied cooly. He looked down at Hana and offered her a smile. “Do not worry, omega. Your pups will be safe.”

Ryu climbed in the back of the big vehicle with Hana in his arms. One of the fighters handed Hanzo Ryu’s big bag. Hanzo must have seen something in his eyes because he tossed the bag in, and the doors closed without a pause before he climbed into the front. Immediately, they were driving on the road and they shook slightly as they took the first turn. The fighter looked at the dim lights in the corner and the loops welded to the sides.

“Well...this is charming,” he quipped as he tried to get her settled against him. Her hands and legs were frigid and all he could think to do was to rub them and to cuddle her closer. She let out a whine as he kept massaging her. “Are these always such a comfortable ride?”

She whined, her legs jerking wildly. “It hurts.” She glanced up at him and clenched her hands around his wrist. “The pups are coming.”

He nodded, patting her skin and rubbing her shoulders. “I know.” He cocked his head, looking at her and trying to remember what he had read as she relaxed slightly. He moved the vents around so that they were all blasting on her. “How far apart are they?”

“A-a-a-about twenty minutes—I think,” she panted in return.

Ryu cursed. “Hana...really?!” He puffed out her breath. “You would have had to be in labor for hours.” She nodded quickly. “Why didn’t you say something? I was right there—in the ring—and I didn’t know.” She whimpered again, rolling on the metal floor. “I would have stopped it right then—.”

She shook her head and gave him a shaky smile. “You said...not to distract you.”

He groaned and shook his head. “It’s.... Hell, Hana. I didn’t know.” His hands rubbed her shoulders again. “We’ll be at the shelter soon. Just...just hang on.”

The Sapporo Memorial Omega Shelter was brightly lit as they screeched to a stop in front of the doors. An elderly man was standing there with his keys in hand. Immediately, Hanzo leapt out of the truck and had his identification card in his hand as Ryu climbed out with Hana in his arms.

The elderly manager tutted as they walked in. “This is highly irregular, sir! I will have to—.”

Hanzo only hummed and nodded. “Of course—paperwork.” He gestured towards the steel door in the back. “I will help you with your paperwork as soon as you get her settled.”

“In a birthing cage. Yes, you were quite specific in your call.” He shrugged and began opening the door. “And who is this?”

“I’ll explain later but the short version is that he is the alpha,” Hanzo promised. “Just let them in.”

Ryu kept walking, ignoring the stares of the omegas in the pregnancy isolation area. The elderly man was mere seconds away from getting a punch to his back if he didn’t start moving faster as he pulled the ring of keycards from his pocket and opened the nesting cage at the end of the row.

“You can put the omega in here on the mat,” he murmured. “Take off the dirty clothes and discard them in the bin over there and I’ll get her a gown. Then she will be fine until the midwife comes.”

Ryu walked into the cage and knelt beside the mat. He put Hana down on the mat as carefully as he could, wincing as she gasped painfully. He helped her out of the clothes, taking the gown the manager provided and sliding her into it. It was a tight fit, but he managed to get sat down next to her. “Don’t worry, Hana. I’m right here.”

“What?!” The manager’s face went red and shocked. “No, sir. I do not know how they do it in Tokyo, but here we leave them in cage until the midwife comes or we contact the alpha—.”

“I am her alpha!” he growled with a glare.

The manager backed up with a strangled and startled sound. “Well!” He sniffed and scowled. “Then I’ll just leave you in there.”

“Fine by me!” Ryu tried to get Hana comfortable, ignoring the slamming of the door as the manager walked away muttering angrily. “Hana... just... uhh... breathe.” Her body convulsed, writhing. “Hold on. I’m right here.”

Hana gasped and gripped his hand as hard as she could. “I’m so scared, Ryu.” One hand anxiously let go of him as she stroked her belly. “I’m scared. It...it hurts.”

“I know,” he whispered. God, he had promised her he would never hurt her again. His hand went to her belly and he could practically feel his children ripping her apart. “I know it hurts, Hana.”

She let out a terrified little whine, rolling and twisting helplessly. “Please, I don’t know what to do.”

Ryu smiled as she bit her lip with a whine. “It’s okay, Hana. You can do this.” He glanced around at the few omegas in pregnancy confinement that were watching them. “You can even scream if you need to.”

A soft, high voice spoke up, “It’s okay, Hana. You can scream all you need to here.” Ryu glanced over his shoulder at the small Japanese omega across the hallway from them. “Take a deep breath for a long count of four. Then out for four.”

Slowly, Ryu counted, helping her breathe slowly. He sat on the concrete just below her hips, trying to slowly rub her muscles. “It’s not the time to be too brave, Hana.”

Hana screamed and a flood of warm liquid gushed from between her legs to flow out on the concrete. Ryu tried to rock aside, but there was barely any room for him next to Hana as he tried to leave the nesting area free. She gasped for breath, looking up at him wearily, and whined, “Sorry....a-a-alpha.”

“It’s okay, Hana.” He shrugged. “I’ve been wet and dirty before.” She gave him a small smile and groaned as pain racked her body. He took in a shaky breath, praying for all he was worth that the midwife would hurry. “You just need to be uhh... pushing I guess.”

She whimpered and nodded. Time slowed to a crawl as she panted through the next contraction. At some point, the manager and the tall Japanese man that was with her alpha brought in a cold bottle of water for Ryu and then attached a waterer with its obscene steam to the door. With an angry sound, Ryu opened the bottle and brought it to her lips.

“Take a drink, Hana,” he smiled tightly, trying to sound confident and upbeat. “You’re making me thirsty.” She gave him a nervous titter before she gulped in a swallow and groaned again. “That’s it. Stay with me.”

A new voice came to them. “My goodness—is there even room for me?”

Everyone turned and looked at the elderly Japanese woman who came in with her cane and her leather bag. She wore a set of pink scrubs and her white hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head. “Hello. I’m Ichika—the midwife.”

Ryu glanced at her with an impatient, tight smile. “You’re in time. The pups are coming.”

She had an eternal smile on her face as she came to the chain link door. “So I see.” She cackled warmly. “And you are her alpha, yes?” Ryu nodded slightly, not even sparing her another look. “Well, I suppose it was too much to hope that you were training to be a birth assistant. I could use a cute man around, if you’re interested?”

Ryu had to laugh at her playful tone. “Sorry, I’m sure.”

“No, no. It’s fine, alpha,” she said. “Just have her lay down on her back and feel her cervix. Let me know how much she has dilated.”

Ryu looked up at her with a confused expression, not quite understanding and realizing that this was best left to an expert. With a short laugh, he scrambled out of the way. The midwife slid inside and examined the omega. Hana let out a nervous squeal as her fingers slid inside to examine her. “Now, now. Don’t worry about me. I’m just in here for a moment and then your big, handsome alpha can come back in.” A few minutes later, she slid out and Ryu went back in. The midwife began efficiently unpacking her instruments just outside the door. “She’ll be starting the hard labor within the hour unless I miss my guess.”

“What?!” Ryu gasped. He looked down at Hana’s sweaty body. “Hana...you must have been in labor forever. Why didn’t you tell me? Are you okay?”

“Try having her squat,” the midwife suggested mildly. Ryu got her up and almost instantly, she wailed in pain. There was another spurt of liquid and he gasped. “Good, good.”

“Good? How is this good?!” he demanded.

“The pups are on their way,” she chuckled, nonplussed by the alpha roaring at her. “They will be here quite soon.” She took out a pair of forceps and passed them through to him. “As soon as they come out, you’ll need to—.”

Ryu shook his head, suddenly unsure as she offered him two forceps and a pad and a...whatever that was. “Uhh...I’m not sure you want me to do that.”

“Psh! You’ll do fine.” The woman smiled. “Just keep your omega calm and happy—deep breaths and push when I tell her.”

Ryu sweated more during the next hour and a half than he ever had under Master Gouken’s teaching. She had to push and then relax and then push again. The midwife coached him, offering him water and kindly humor and encouragement. He cleared his mind of everything but Hana as she pushed and pushed.

“Tired,” Hana whispered to him, her legs shaking and her hands trembling.

He nodded, “It’s okay, Hana. Try laying down.” She did finally get down, her legs bent. “You’re doing okay.”

Suddenly, he saw the most amazing thing—a smooth round head coming out. His hands went immediately underneath and with one more push the tiny baby slid out. He stared at it for a moment, dumbfounded at the weakly wriggling form in his hands.

The midwife was next to him then and the tiny area was crowded. “Hold the baby still, young man. We’ll get this settled.” He looked up to see the cage door open and her reaching around him clumsily to clamp the thick umbilical cord. “Do you want to cut the cord?”

He flinched, turning pale as she wriggled around him. “Errr...no.”

She shrugged, patting the omega gently. With an efficient move, her silver instrument flashed and the cord was cut. Another few seconds and she had the cord tied off. “Hold on, omega. Just a minute and you’ll be right as rain.” She looked at them both. “How many are we expecting?”

“Two,” Ryu muttered as she efficiently wiped the baby boy down and settled him in nest portion of the mat.

“The next one will be along then,” she cackled again. “Help her with that and we’ll get this on his way to breathing.”

Everything went by in a whirl as Ryu held on to Hana. The first one’s cry made his hands shake and for a moment, he was terrified that he would drop the second one. Hana laid down in exhaustion and Ryu was thankful for that, sure he’d drop the second one as the first one’s kept fussing. A few minutes later, her pains came hard again and he felt the last pup slid into his hands. Again the midwife slid around him like a nimble monkey and helped cut the cord and get the baby to breathe.

The midwife put them both together before pulling out some diapers. “Good job, alpha.” She patted Ryu’s knee warmly, leaving a pink mark on his dirty pants. “If you ever want a new career helping with pups, you can just give me a call.”

Hana weakly laid down, curling around the two little pups. The midwife helped her put them into little outfits so that they would be warm, helped her sit in Ryu’s lap so that she was upright and could nurse them both for a few minutes. Then, as efficiently and quickly as she had come, she cleaned up her equipment and pulled out a red back marked ‘Biohazard’ and dumped everything in it.

Ryu’s mouth was dry as the little babies yawned and stretched in the nest area of the mat. Hana was warm and weary as she curled around the little babies. Her finger went to one tiny fist as the baby yawned again, one little leg pushing out. One of the babies had a thick swirl of thin dark hair and the other had a sort of reddish dusting. He grinned at them as their blue eyes closed sleepily.

“They are perfect, Hana,” he whispered.

She gave him a weary huff. With soft fingers, she stroked their heads. “A little boy and a little girl.” Her green eyes flicked up in warmth and weariness. “You...aren’t disappointed, are you?”

“Never,” he whispered, holding her hand. “Why would I be disappointed in my two children?” He reached out to them and even in their sleep, they grabbed his thick fingers in their little hands. “A handsome little boy and a beautiful little girl.”

She was asleep as soon as he spoke. He grinned at her and looked over his shoulder. Hanzo was there, kneeling on his heels just outside the open door. “Congratulations, Ryu. Well done.”

“Well...I didn’t do much.” He flushed in pleasure, looking at them. “She did the work.”

Hanzo gave him an enigmatic grin and shrugged. “You look like you could get cleaned up.”

Ryu finally took in a deep breath. He was covered in dirt and sweat and blood and whatever else he was soaked with. “I guess.” He got into a low crouch, looking at the concrete floor with its ubiquitous drain. “I am a smelly mess, aren’t I?”

Hanzo hummed, nodding his head. “There is a shower available. It might make you more comfortable—not to mention being a bit more...hygienic for the pups.”

Ryu stepped outside to get changed. The fight had ripped and dirtied his clothes, and now he was even more sweaty and grimy from the birth on the floor. He was definitely going to have Hana back at the dojo as soon as he could—he hated this place already. Hanzo had the manager open up a small washroom that boasted the most minuscule shower he had ever seen, but by the time he got back to the cage, he was at least mostly clean and someone had cleaned the floor.

“Hana,” he whispered. “Hey...Hana.”

“Mmmm,” she sighed wearily. “Ryu.... We have two pups.”

“Yeah,” he smiled.

Hana nodded slowly. “I was told that we needed to clean up and return the clothes when they outgrew them.”

He nodded. “Sleep, Hana.” He gave her a smile as she tried to scrunch into a small enough ball that he had any room. “You and the pups are going to need the room.” She gave him a worried sound. “Don’t worry. I’ll be just outside.”

Hanzo laughed as he left the door open and sat down with his back against the front of the cage. Crossing his arms over his chest and folding his legs, Ryu settled back on the floor and leaning back against the fencing. “Congratulations again, Ryu.” The other man stood up unsteadily. “I wish you well.”

Ryu looked up at him. With a rueful grin, he shrugged. “I guess the reward is yours, if that’s what you’re hanging around for.”

“Hardly.” Hanzo smirked down at him. “But I was very interested to see how things turned out. I’ve been cheering for you to find her and Mark-san will be pleased that there is a happy ending to the story after all.”

“How long will she be kept here?” Ryu grunted.

“Mmm.... I would suggest staying here for a least few days to let her recover. But where is her nest?”

Ryu shrugged. “At the dojo.”

“Up the mountain?” Hanzo blinked uncertainly. “It will be hard going for her. Perhaps a cart would help her get up there, but she will need careful attention....” He gave an uncertain gesture. “Does she have what she needs? Is there anything that I can do for you? Or perhaps there are people you would like to call?”

“Call?” His whole body stiffened. “I guess I can call Ken....”

Hanzo nodded sympathetically. “The shelter will provide all of the supplies you need while you’re here and enough to travel with.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

“Any time,” he grinned. “Let me know if there is anything I can do.”

Ryu slept sitting up with his back to the door. The other omegas occasionally stirred, a bit nervous with the alpha sleeping on the floor, but he was so still and calm and so obviously bonded with the new mother that he was not considered a threat at all. As soon as the pups stirred in their newborn way, he was next to Hana and helping her with them.

He still could barely believe that he was a father, that these were his pups. They were so tiny in his hands as he held them. The diapers seemed like bar napkins, kleenex. The little boy—his son!—he could hold almost entirely in one hand. And the little girl seemed so fragile, her little legs kicked sloppily and her heels hit just below his wrist.

He was getting vaguely concerned about how small they were when he happened to see Hana nursing the little girl. Then he felt a trickle of anxiety as he saw them next to her breast, in her trim arms. His little girl was actually a good size. And how on earth she had come from inside his omega—even though he had seen it—he had no idea. He reached blindly and stroked Hana’s shoulder, comforted by her pleased sounds.

In the morning, he got up and stretched. It was not the first time he had slept like this, but he didn’t necessarily like it. He stood at the doorway and looked down at Hana as she blinked up at him uncertainly. “Hey, Hana...if I got some breakfast, what would you like?”

“Mmm...whatever is fine. I’m just thirsty right now.” She stretched clumsily, holding one of the children in her arms. “Is there any juice?”

“I’ll go see,” he yawned. “Anything else?”

Another omega rubbed her eyes and piped up, “They’ll bring us something soon. Usually rice balls and tea.”

Ryu shook his head. “Don’t worry Hana.... I’ll bring us some real breakfast. Is there anything else? Some diapers and stuff for the trip back to the dojo.” He shrugged. “As soon as I can figure out what happened to my bag, I’ll see about getting us a ride back.”

She nodded. “I wasn’t looking forward to walking.”

“Okay.” He grinned. “I will get things started.”

He walked up to the manager when he came in. Ryu gave him a friendly smile. “I need to go out—find my gear and take care of some things. Is Hana going to be okay here for a while?”

“Hana?” The smaller man yawned and picked up a paper cup of coffee. “The new girl?”

Ryu nodded with grudging patience. “She and the pups need to rest and I want to get some supplies and arrange for our trip home.”

“Hmmm,” he nodded. “And the Tokyo manager left this for you.” He drug the heavy bag out of his office. It seemed almost as large as he was as he struggled to move it. “I’ve got the doctor coming in this morning to check the pups and before she leaves, I’ll have her microchipped and registered.”

“Let her sleep as much as she can—it’s been a tough few weeks.” Ryu stared down until the other man nodded, backing up a half step. “She’s tired.”

“Very well.” He cocked his head, turning on some computer monitors that showed the various rooms. “But she will get the same treatment as my other omegas. Door closed and everything.”

Ryu’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “I’ll be back in at most two hours.”

The manager shrugged. “As you say.” He gave Ryu a dark look. “Are you claiming them all?”

Ryu backed up slightly, surprise across his face. “What? Why?”

“I had a call late yesterday. Some woman called asking if she could adopt the pups born last night.” He shrugged. “I told her to call me back today when I got a hold of you to see what you wanted to do.”

He scowled, growling, “Trini....” Finally, he shook his head. “No. I claim all the pups. They are all mine and none of them are going to be available for adoption.”

The elderly manager nodded uncertainly and shrugged. “Don’t shoot the messenger. She offered 3500 for each one.”

“The answer is still no.” He grunted sourly. “And that answer will not change.” He nodded. “I’m going to get her some juice—breakfast. Make a few calls.” Snatching up a piece of paper, he scrawled the number for his cell phone. “This is how you can call me.”

“As you wish,” he shrugged.

“And I expect her to be healthy, rested, and safe and with the two pups when I return.” He let a thread of alpha command into his voice. “I have already fought to find her and to have her be safe. I will not hesitate to do so again.”

The manager backed up, his hands coming up. “Of course, of course.”

Ryu nodded bitterly and walked out. The first car took him to a grocery store where he got half a dozen different juices—grape, pear, apple, mango, orange and a sweet cherry—and a big bag of newborn diapers. There was a few bibs that looked cute—a blue one saying “Daddy’s Little Boy” and a white one with “Daddy’s Princess” with a pink crown on it—and he thought maybe they needed some of the soft rubber pacifiers he saw at the end of the aisle. There was a small deli counter and he got two orders of avocado toast along with some fruit.

Someone else picked him up and he got a ride back to the shelter in exchange for a picture. Hana was nursing the little girl in a fresh gown when he got there. Sliding his heavy bag down to the floor, he knelt beside the door. She grinned up at him as he passed a narrow can of orange juice to her through the chain link door and then a flat box that held one of the toasts through the small slot. She clumsily unwrapped it and devoured it all, ignoring the envious groans of the surrounding omegas.

“Thank you, Ryu!” She grinned up at him anxiously as the little girl suckled. “She’s got your fight in her.”

He smirked at her. “Does she?” He looked at the nest area at the little boy who slept there. “And what about my son?”

“He has a huge appetite today.” She shrugged. “After everything, he’s still a doll. Sleeps like an angel.”

Ryu nodded, sitting down in front of the door. “How are you doing, Hana?”

She shuddered nervously. “Good. The doctor came in and said that they were healthy.” She flushed, color all down from her ears to her nose to her chest. “And somehow...I’m getting microchipped. That sounds...weird.”

He nodded, putting his hands on the fencing. “I know. It’s supposed to be harmless and is supposed to identify you specifically—just in case.”

Hana reached and touched his fingers. “I know. But it still makes me sound like a poodle.”

Ryu laughed. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

“Arf arf,” she snapped sarcastically.

“Don’t be like that.” He held up his phone. “Besides, I still have to call Ken with the good news.” He looked at the phone thoughtfully. “And E. I definitely need to tell E that we’re back together.”

She gaped up at him. “You...you really know him? I...was afraid that—.” She flushed. “I was afraid that he was—. I mean—he’s famous. I didn’t know what to tell him.”

“He’s been a good friend for a while.” Ryu shrugged bashfully with a half grin. “We can’t help tripping over each other at the fights in Japan. It’s still a hard core fight, but we respect each other and it’s...good to have him as a friend.”

She nodded with a blush. “I’m glad. Maybe he can come visit us sometime.” She flinched and moved the baby girl to her other side, offering him a grin as the baby latched on. They both grinned at the baby as she kicked. “As much as this one is eating, she’ll be his size in no time.”

Ryu laughed, leaning close to the door. She smiled at him as he took the trash and tossed it. Coming back to sit in front of the door, his put his huge hand up to the fencing. Smiling, she spread her hand against the chain link, finally skin touching skin. It was as close as he could get right now, but it felt so good to just touch her, just to see her. “I’ve missed you, Hana.”

She smiled. “I’ve missed you, too.” She scooted over, as close as she could get. “I was so scared and then...Master Gouken—.”

“I know, Hana.” He sighed with a bitter grimace. “But he is...in a better place.” Swallowing heavily, he continued in a low voice. “And he loved having you nearby. The pups. It meant the world to him that he was going to see you—.”

She let out a soft sound. “We talked about you. Everything. That you liked swimming in the lake and how you like dango and mizo yokan and moon cakes. He was so proud of you and what you were doing.”

Ryu nodded with a sad grin. “When he wrote letters to me, it was all about you and the pups. He was so happy. He was designing a new martial arts style for omegas because he adored you and wanted you safe.”

She gave him a watery smile. “We spent hours talking about how to fall and roll. He must have piled every pillow and quilt in the entire place down on the floor so that I wouldn’t get hurt when I tried it. Then he’d feel guilty and not want to do anything because of the pups.” She couldn’t look up at him for a moment as tears trickled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” He looked at her. “He did adore the pups, he wanted to make them strong. He left his notes. I’ll finish what he started—finish the style. It will be his legacy.” He smiled at her. “We’ll make sure everyone knows it.” 

She grinned and set the baby down to take a nap before pulling the gown back into place. Looking at her, he asked, “Are you still thirsty? I got a few different juices because I didn’t know what you wanted.”

She nodded with a smile, leaning against the fencing just to nuzzle him and feel his warmth. He dug around and pulled out the mango juice to pass though to her when he heard a slow clap behind him.

“Well, well,” Trini drawled, standing behind him in her trench coat and boots that screamed designer styling. She flicked some nonexistent lint off her coat and patted her hair with a toxic smile. “So the little omega turned up after all. And look, she’s had her pups.”

“Trini!” he growled in his throat.

“What?” she simpered. “Just came by to see them.” Her perfectly made up lips blew him a kiss. “Like I told you, I have plenty of room for them—.”

“The answer is ‘no’, Trini.” He growled as he looked over his shoulder. “I have my omega and you and I—.”

“Have some unfinished business,” she purred. “After all, it was my connections that got you this far. The fight never would have happened without me. My connections.” She waved casually. “And there’s the matter of I have money on the table to get the pups.”

Hana gave a fearful gasp, sliding over to the nest and giving Ryu uncertain little glances. Quietly she whimpered, “N-n-no. I’m claimed. All the pups are claimed.”

Ryu stood up and turned to face the alpha woman. “Trini. Yes, you were helpful. But there is nothing you can say or do that will make me give any of them up.”

She shrugged. “Who’s asking you to? Why don’t we take them all to my place? Nice little place for her and we raise the pups.”

“No, Trini,” he growled. “I have already claimed them. We are leaving tomorrow and you will never see me again.” He gave her a solemn nod. “You have Tadao’s backing. You can do whatever you want. You have your life, and I have mine.” He growled. “If you try to come after me, then I will rip you to shreds.”

She laughed with a toss of her hair. “You don’t want me to be your enemy.”

“You don’t want me as yours.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You really don’t.” He looked at the cage, at the timid omega looking up at him before staring right into other woman’s purple eyes. “I’m here to stop you from harming any of them.”

She laughed again. “And I’m supposed to be scared of you?” Leaning over and talking to Hana, she said too loudly, “Omega—why don’t you ask him what he’s been doing here in Sapporo?” Without waiting for a reply, she laughed, “I’ll tell you—.”

“Trini!” Ryu barked angrily.

“What?” she asked in a syrupy innocent tone. “I would only tell her the truth. Besides, I have as much right to be here as you do. I can come here to adopt omegas, bring them into my exchange—to do what I wish.” 

She shrugged and her voice dropped to a low tone, “You see, Ryu? I am not the bad guy here. Nor am I an omega to bow and scrape at your feet. But I am willing to be reasonable.” She shrugged. “You and the omega come with me and we are all one big, happy family.”

“No.” His eyes felt like they burned red for a moment. “The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be for all of us.”

“We’ll see,” she purred.

Watching her carefully, he went to sit in front of the door. “I’ll be here just in case you decide to try anything.”

Trini shrugged and leaned against the wall. “I’ll just make a few calls, if you don’t mind.”

He ignored her, pulling his phone out from his bag. If his master was alive, the first thing he would do would be to reach out to him. It hurt so much, knowing that the big alpha would not see these pups play or train them or hear them laugh. But Gouken would not want him to mourn like this and Trini’s sudden silence unnerved him. He began with the first number on his list.

“Masters Incorporated, Ken speaking.”

Ryu grinned. “Hey, Ken.”

“Ryu! I guess you won the fight? What’s happening?”

“Well...it’s a really long story.” He scratched the back of his head nervously, hearing Hana move around anxiously. Glancing over at her, he whispered, “Get some sleep, Hana.”

Ken’s voice was buoyant as he let out a cheer. “Hana’s back! Hell yeah!” There were a few happy sounds and Ryu grinned. “It’s about time. I can’t wait to tell Eliza. She’s going to want to come see the babies, so get ready for us to descend on you.”

“Uhh...we’re kind of stuck in Sapporo right now.”

“Sapporo? I knew that you were there for the fight with Akuma. But this is like a few months early isn’t it? What the hell happened, Ryu?”

“Um, I—.”

“You know what, never mind. What do we have? How many boys and girls?” Ken’s voice was excited. “Eliza’s gonna want all the details.”

“One of each. But I need your help.”

“Sure, man! Whatever you need.”

“I’m in a shelter with Hana. There’s another alpha trying to grab the pups.” He growled, looking at Trini as she fiddled with her phone. “I’m not going to give any of them up—.”

“Hell, no.” A pause. “But how did you end up in a shelter? Did one of Hanzo’s buddies turn up trumps?”

“Sort of. Not really.” He let out an impatient noise. “Hanzo was here at an exhibition match—a privately held fight. I was going after Akuma and he found her off to one side.”

Ken laughed, “I told him about the fight last night. Well, he seemed like a good guy. I’ll send him the money.”

“It’s not that.” Ryu puffed out an angry breath and dropped his voice. “I got a local job and have most of it saved up. The problem is that she was in labor—.”

“In labor? What the hell?”

“She was in labor at the fight. And as soon as I got to her, she was already giving birth. Hanzo pulled some connections and got us a lift to the nearest shelter. When we got here, the pups were going to beat the midwife.”

“Holy hell!”

“I know. But they’re here now—.”

“And she’s okay? All ten fingers and toes on everyone?”

“So far.” He let out an impatient breath. “But I need to get rid of this other alpha.”

“A rabid fan, Ryu? Should I call you Don Juan?”

“It was a connection I made while...working.”

“So she can’t get your pups if you claim them.” Ken let out a sound. “But give Hanzo another call and he’ll offer a statement that you reported her missing and so on.”

“Is there anything that I can do to claim the pups? Make sure that they don’t get separated?”

“Stay with them, man. The doctor or midwife or whatever will talk to the manager who will release her to you with the pups. It wouldn’t be normally a problem, but if another alpha is moving in, then you don’t want them out of your sight.”

“How do I get back to the dojo? I have to get her back there.”

“I guess I can arrange for a pickup in a day or two. Something with some car seats.”

“Nothing too fancy.” He put a hand up to his head. “I already owe you—.”

“Hey man...it’s nothing. You’ve really boosted the Sapporo gym’s ratings. Do you know you have a real following? I mean—that new chick Sakura worships you and has a whole site devoted to sightings of you. People are tweeting that they saw you at clubs and at the gym. So I’ve gotten like thousands in free publicity. Here’s one I saw of you with a nice looking—.... Wait. Is that who is giving you problems?!”

“Yeah.”

“Stay with Hana. Just stay with Hana.”

“What is it, Ken?!”

Ken’s voice dropped. “That bitch has a rep on her. The story is that she stole at least one omega from another alpha by screwing with the records and paperwork—and here in the States, no one will deal with her. So stay with Hana. I’ll try and make arrangements. Give me a bit and I’ll call you back. Maybe call E to see if he can meet you. Give you a little more star power to back you up.” A pause. “And it will make E and Hiro feel better since they missed getting a hold of you the first go round.”

“Ken—I already owe you so much—.”

“Just shut it and let me get on the phone. Call you back in the hour. Bye Ryu.”

Ryu sighed and stared at the disconnected phone. His debts towards the American were growing with no end in sight. Abruptly, he felt a warmth against his back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Hana’s ashen gray face.

“Ryu. Alpha.” Her eyes were wide and a trembling green. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Hana.”

“You said that...there were debts—?” She shuddered. “How...how much?”

“It’s nothing, Hana. Don’t worry.”

“But.... The money—.” She looked over at Trini and then the two sleeping pups and then back at him. “Is that why—?”

He gave her a smirk. “No, Hana. We’re keeping all the pups. None of them are for sale.” She nodded, biting her lip. “Have you thought of names?”

“I wanted...to name the boy Gouken—if that’s all right with you.” She blushed with an anxious smile. “I thought he would be pleased.”

He nodded in pleased appreciation. “I think he would be overjoyed.” The name suited the little boy as he kicked up sleepily to stretch and then settle back down with a wide, toothless yawn. “But what about the girl?”

She shook her head. “She’s the one we couldn’t identify because she wriggled so much. What about your mother’s name?”

He shook his head. “Master Gouken found me and I don’t remember his mate. I haven’t found her name in his journals yet. What about your mother’s name? Do you remember her?”

“Her name was Tabitha.” She shrugged a little sadly. “My father was supposed to be looking for a match for me with an alpha, but went gambling instead. So he owed money to a few people—.”

“And that’s how you ended up at the fight?” She nodded slowly. “Look, Hana. I know that it’s scary right now, but we got this. We’re going to get back to the dojo with Gouken and Tabitha. We’ll finish the style and...and—.” Trini moved just then and smiled down at the omega, causing her to shiver. “Just take care of the pups. I got the rest.” He gave her a warm smile. “It’s what I’m supposed to do as your alpha, isn’t it?”

“Yes, alpha.”

“Now I’m going to give a call to E. You remember him?” She nodded uncertainly. “Apparently he and his assistant were...uhh.... Well, they were concerned since they couldn’t get a hold of me. Then they went and blew up Ken’s email trying to get a hold of him to get a hold of me.” He grinned, trying to make it a joke. “Apparently I was hard to get a hold of then.”

She did laugh at that, even though he knew it wasn’t funny. “Really?”

“Yeah. So I guess I owe him a call.” He smirked. “You get a nap.”

Hiro answered the phone on the second ring. “Mochi mochi. Hello, Ashida Hiro speaking.”

“Hey—this is Ryu.”

“Ahh...the missing Ryu. How can I help you?”

“Can you put E on the phone?”

“Of course, sir. Hold on.”

There was a pause with music in the background. Ryu tapped his fingers idly until the boisterous sumo got on the line. “Hey, Ryu!”

“E...can you give me a hand?”

“Sure. What do you need?”

“Can you come to Sapporo for me?”

“Sure...but where? Why?”

“Just tell Hiro he was right.” Ryu sighed. “And I finally have Hana back.”

“Hiro? Right about...what?” He chuckled. “Not that he won’t be overjoyed about being right, but he’ll definitely want to know what he’s right about.”

“Hana.”

“That was your omega, huh? Ken said as much. But what about the pups?”

“We ended up in a shelter, E—the Sapporo Memorial Shelter. But things aren’t good and I need your help—.”

“I can be there in a few hours. Hiro—get the SUV and meet me outside.” There was a rustle of indistinct sounds. “And put it on our feed when we get to the shelter.”

He heard Hiro faintly in the background. “Right away sir. I’ll bring the camera.”

Ryu chuckled dryly. “Can’t wait to see you, E.”

“We’ll be right there. Hang in there, Ryu—help is on the way.”

Ryu hung up with a grin on his face. Hana slept back there around the pups and he settled back for another nap himself. The next thing he knew was a tiny old woman with a small device in her hand was shaking him awake.

“Now, young man—I’m here to microchip the omega.” She gave him an almost grin. “Won’t take but a moment.”

“Wait for a bit,” he scowled grumpily. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“But it’s a requirement of the shelter.” She shrugged. “Every omega leaving is microchipped. Now, if she can just come to the door, I can even do it through the fencing so that she doesn’t have to leave the pups.”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. She’s claimed. All the pups are claimed.” He pushed harder against the door as he heard Hana stirring behind him. “When we’re ready to leave, then I’ll call.”

Trini sauntered in just behind the other woman. “Just let her do her job, Ryu.”

He scowled at her, suddenly sure that she had something to do with this. “When I’m ready. Not before.”

“Fine!” Trini scowled at him as she leaned against the wall again. She gave him a predatory smile that seemed to prompt all of the omegas to whimper. “But don’t blame me if she gets taken because you’re not playing by the rules.”

Two hours later, all of the omegas began whining again as a group of neatly suited men came in. Ryu scowled at them, stiffly rising to his feet, waiting for the brawl to begin. One of them—a smooth looking gray-haired man in a blue three piece of a startling gold and red striped tie—opened a slick leather portfolio with a wad of paperwork in it. “Sir—we understand that there is some kind of conflict regarding an omega and two pups.”

“Hardly,” Ryu snorted. “She is mine and the pups are mine. You can contact Hanzo, the manager at the Tokyo shelter where I first reported her missing.” He shrugged. “There are a half-dozen people who will verify that she was mine first.”

“The complaint states—.”

“She also has my bond mark.”

The group blinked and the blue suited man frowned at his paperwork. “I see. That was not on my paperwork.” He pulled out a pen. “If, as you say, a properly registered notification, then that does change things. Is there a bond impression at the Tokyo shelter?”

“Yes—the day I registered the complaint.”


	32. Chapter 32

They shuffled around, murmuring to each other and to a less than pleased looking Trini. Ryu flexed his muscles, feeling a vague sense of alarm as they began shuffling pages and whispering to her. They finally found another page and were all nodding in agreement with Trini who’s frown slid into a smile. “Sir...I think you will find that—.”

Suddenly E’s voice rang out loud and clear, the elderly manager’s voice squeaking in the background. “Ryu...now what’s all this? Where are you?” The big sumo stalked in with Hiro close behind him. “There you are.”

Without stopping he went to Hana as she slid in front of the nest. “Well, hey there omega. I remember you.” He cocked his giant head with a contagiously joyful smile. “You look a little more cleaned up than the last time I saw you. And hey, look, two pups.”

He clapped Ryu on the shoulder. “Look at you—two healthy pups. I’m almost jealous. How are you holding up?”

Ryu nodded at the larger man with a grin. “We’re doing all right. She and the pups are going to be hopefully released in a day or two. Maybe less if we can settle the paperwork.”

“Well that sounds just great. Where are you going to head to? I never exactly heard where you call home?”

“Back to the dojo,” he shrugged. “Master Gouken’s—.”

“His dojo?” E nodded in obvious approval. “She’ll like it there up in the mountains. It’ll be peaceful. But he’s like a hundred, isn’t he?”

Hiro snorted. “Not to offend you, Ryu.”

Ryu shook his head. “Say, E, I need to handle these guys. Can you stay with Hana for a bit?”

“Yeah, no problem.” He grinned again. “Have you gotten a hold of Ken?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Let me take care of this.”

The suited men crowded back from the two fighters. One of them finally squeaked, “Y-y-you’re Edmond Honda.”

“Of course I am,” he grunted. “Who did you think I was?”

“Sir...obviously we meant no offense.” They began bowing. “Do you ah...corroborate this man’s story? That he claimed the omega and those are his pups?”

Edmond growled, crossing his arms. “Of course those are his. Didn’t I just say so?” He gestured towards Hiro. “Hiro—get this guy’s name. I want to make sure that I never have to deal with him again.”

“Of course, sir.”

Ryu smirked to see them backing away. Trini stared up at the sumo and then back at him, a look of fury on her face. Hiro dutifully collected business cards from each of them as they backed away, filing them carefully in his wallet.

When the last of them had filed out, too embarrassed to even look up at anyone else, Hiro grinned up at E. “That was the last of them, sir.”

“Good.” He chuckled, clapping Ryu’s back again with a hearty sound. “Now Ryu—tell me about the fight. How did you end up here of all places?” The shelter manager came in squeaking about feeding times and schedules and then left as he realized with the massive sumo, his assistant and Ryu, there wasn’t room for more. “And how soon can we get out of here? I’m hungry.”

“Ken’s sending a vehicle so that we have car seats for the pups.” Ryu shrugged. “I don’t know how long that will take, though.”

“Humph,” E snorted, causing the omegas to titter. “I suppose that we should stay here and make sure that no one else decides to cause trouble.” He sat down on the floor. “So tell me about how all this went down.”

Ryu shrugged and sat back down. “I want to hear about how you and Hana met.”

E and Hiro gave him the story, with Hana occasionally piping up. Quite soon, they were chuckling over old battles and long ago fights when another suited man came in. “Do I have the pleasure of addressing Ryu?”

Ryu’s ears went pink at the very properly dressed man’s English accent. “That’s me.”

“Sir...I believe if you were finished here, then the car is ready for you and your family.”

Hiro stood up briskly, dusting off his clothes. “Of course. Let’s get the paperwork figured out.”

It was embarrassing how quickly the paperwork was finished with Hiro forcing it through with an ironic blend of humor and brisk business manners. The manager was suddenly very amenable to releasing them, his face red as he waved the pile of paperwork from the Tokyo shelter. There was a copy of the original paperwork, a photo of the mold of the bond mark—everything.

“Sir—as you can see, there is no problem. As long as there is safe transport, then we will release you both.” He bobbed his head. “And I believe that you’ll be fine.”

“And the microchip?”

The manager’s face screwed up in confusion. “I have a set—a gun and a chip. Why?”

“You do it? Not anyone else?” The manager looked up, shaking his head. Ryu growled, guessing the trap that he had narrowly avoided. “Fine. I want Hana out of here.”

The manager brought out a slender thing the size of half a grain of rice. He slid it into a thing connected to the computer. Typing furiously, he showed Ryu the screen of information, got his approval and then hit the button. A moment later, he put it in a little gun looking thing. Then they went to the cage.

Ryu crept inside and woke Hana up. She looked up at him nervously and he held her in his lap as the little chip was shot under her skin. There was a spot of blood and a moment that she whimpered as a bandage was applied. Ryu cradled her in his arms, whispering to her softly.

“Hana...that’s over with. You’re done and we can get out of here.” She whined as his hand stroked the bandage. “Just hold on.”

The manager backed away with a scowl, muttering sourly at the crazy alpha who was spoiling his omega. Hiro walked forward briskly to the manager with a solemn look on his face. “Hello. I am Ashida Hiro and I have been retained to help handle this.”

“Ashida H-h-Hiro?” The manager blinked at the other man’s efficient and brisk manner. “R-r-retained?”

“I will take care of the paperwork.” He pulled out a golden pen that probably cost more than Ryu had ever seen in a fight. “Now...let us get settled while my...ahh...client—.”

“Your client has been nothing but trouble for me!” He pointed to the front door. “And now—E Honda? We have fans trying to knock the door down!”

“The let me sign the paperwork,” Hiro smiled patiently.

Ryu grinned to E as he picked up Hana. She whined softly, pointing to the stirring pups. “I know Hana. But we’re getting out of here right now.”

She shook her head weakly. “Get the pups.”

He smiled down at her. “Don’t worry. We’ll get the pups.”

“No,” she whispered. “I’ll walk. I’ll be fine. But no one will take the pups from you.” Her eyes were wide and a fearful green as she looked anxiously around. “Please take Gouken and Tabitha. Take them with you.”

“But you can’t walk!” he snapped impatiently. “You need to rest. You shouldn’t probably even be moved but I need to get us out of here.”

She shivered, kicking. Without strength or even real intent, she ran her nails down his heavily muscled chest. “Please. I’ll walk. I’ll crawl if I need to.”

E laughed heartily. “Come here, omega. I’ll help you out.” He nodded towards Hiro. “The paperwork is almost done and the sooner you can get out of here, the sooner we’ll all relax—even Ryu.” He offered her a massive hand. “Besides, this place is making me claustrophobic.”

She looked up at him nervously. Slowly, she kicked again and Ryu slowly slid her to her feet. His arms were out next to her as she staggered to the big sumo. It was a relief to see her hands hit E’s large stomach and then grab his arm to steady herself. “Come on, Ryu. Get the babies and let’s get out of here.”

Ryu ducked back into the cage. Clumsily, he put Gouken on his shoulder and then scooped up Tabitha. It was lucky that he was so flexible and was able to squat walk out with them on each shoulder. He looked at Hana and her pale, strained face and she gave him a timid smile.

E put a hand under her elbow and looked up at Ryu. “Come on, show off. She’s determined to walk, but even I can tell she needs to get off her feet.” Hiro came up with a folder of papers, putting his pen back into his pocket. “Hope that Ken’s ride is a good one.”

They slowly slid through the building, Ryu carefully picking his way through with the babies on each shoulder. Hiro took the first position, opening doors and nodding absently at anyone who happened to speak while not actually speaking or acknowledging anyone. E kept his huge hand underneath her elbow, keeping her upright. Ryu’s eyes widened as she seemed to weave.

“Don’t worry, Ryu.” E slid his hands to help support her. “She’s tough.”

Hiro stopped just outside the shadowed entry way. “It seems there is a crowd, sir.” E and Ryu nodded bitterly. “Hold on.” Without another word, Hiro took off his suit coat and draped it over her head and shoulders. “Not a lot of press pictures of her now.”

Ryu nodded, shifting his grip so that his hands and arms were covering the pups as much as they could. Honestly, no one would see much anyway, as tiny as they were under his big hands, but it felt good to still do it. “Good thinking. Thanks, Hiro.”

“Of course, sir.”

Hiro and E pushed open the doors and began the tedious pushing and shoving to make way for Ryu and Hana. Looking down at the weary omega, he whispered in her ear. “Hold on. I think that’s your ride.”

Ryu couldn’t duck his head and get away from the flashing and microphones. There wasn’t any dodging the barking questions and shouting and he had only a small space behind the big sumo as he walked. He glanced around, trying to figure out which one of the many cars was the one that Ken had sent. E’s huge body blocked a lot of his vision and he seemed to be holding the small woman upright. He glanced around, feeling Tabitha wriggle on his shoulder, looking for the uptight driver and the car. Finally, he saw it and burst out laughing.

Trust Ken to send a long black limo.

Hiro turned around, dodging the driver as he opened the door for Hana. “Here we are.”

Hana just about collapsed as she got to the car. Slowly, she crawled to a seat, groaning in relief. “Th-th-thank you, Hiro.” Looking up at the big, smiling sumo she gave him a strained nod. “Thank you, too.”

Ryu grinned at her as she wrapped the seat belt around herself as she stretched out on the long bench. He scrambled in, getting between the cup shaped car seats. Glancing nervously at the spaghetti scramble of straps and buckles, he was relieved when the driver blithely stepped in and moved aside the straps.

“Could I lend you a hand, sir?”

“Uhh...yes?”

It seemed to take forever to get the tiny babies and settle them in the car seats. The buckles were complicated and the straps seemed to be never ending. Ryu stared at him as he slid Tabitha into the seat and began wrapping her in the straps and snapping the buckles.

“How did you do that?”

“Not a problem, sir. Adopted three myself and there’s now eight grandchildren. Been doing this for a while.”

“Okay then.” Ryu handed him little Gouken, watching with interest as the process was repeated. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem, sir. I’ll just pop into the front and we’ll start on our way.” He waved at the small built in cabinets. “There’s water and snacks for the young lady in there and we’ll be at the ferry in about two and a half hours, given the traffic.” With a flourish, he handed Ryu what appeared to be a small remote. “This will control the television and can be used to signal me if the lady needs a break.”

Hiro looked in at the big alpha as the driver went to the seat. “You look comfortable. We will be following in the SUV as soon as the boss is done signing autographs.”

Ryu nodded in a bit of shock. “We’re going to the dojo. It’s going to be a long trip.”

“We thought you might need some help.” Hiro grinned. “Besides, how often will I get to play uncle to pups?”

“All right,” Ryu shrugged. “Let’s go when everyone is ready.”

He saw E giving autographs and taking photographs as Hiro went back inside and brought out Ryu’s big bag and the grocery bag with the few juices and spare diapers. Wobbling to the back, the trunk opened almost silently and the heavy bag was put inside with barely a flutter. Knocking on the window, he passed the grocery bag in and waved. Ryu grinned as E began to move towards the huge black SUV and climb inside. Finally, the limo began driving. Ryu glanced at the huge SUV following them and gave Hiro a vague wave that he wasn’t sure the other man even saw. “Hey, Hana. Do you need anything?”

She rolled slightly, groaning. “I am just a bit sore. Nothing to worry about.”

“I do worry about you.” He chuckled. “It’s my job as your alpha.”

“What’s in the fridge?”

Ryu leaned around and began opening the small cabinets. “There’s a box of chocolate mochi and green tea mochi. A couple of packets of mixed nuts. A few peppermints. Some chocolates and a few bags of pretzels. A few cut lemons and limes in a little box.” He dug around in the grocery bag. “I have some bananas and apples. An orange.” He checked in the tiny mini fridge. “I have some juices left and there’s some sparkling water and some bottles of tea.” He glanced back at her. “I suppose you’re not interested in the scotch and whiskey?” She giggled and shook her head. “Let’s start with some sparkling water and some pretzels.”

They were riding along, watching the scenery fly by almost silently. Hana nibbled the snacks, napping off and on. Ryu fiddled with the remote, watching as a screen dropped from the roof and tuned to a musical cartoon. Hana giggled at him as he stared at the remote in confusion, hitting the buttons with a frown.

“I suppose that you would do better, omega,” he snorted as she giggled again as he lights inside the cabin flicked off and on—twice.

“What are you trying to do?”

“I suppose we can start by turning off the singing fish.” He handed her the remote. “Can we do that?”

She studied the remote for a moment and then hit a button. A brilliant blue fish was frozen mid-song with the most disturbing smile on its otherwise vacant face. “Okay. No more singing fish.”

He nodded, absently petting Tabitha as she whined and kicked. Almost as soon as she did, Gouken began fussing. “What do we do now?”

“I’ll nurse them,” she yawned. “Maybe change their diapers.”

“Do you need the driver to pull over?”

“I think it will be fine,” she yawned and stretched. Slowly they got Tabitha out of the seat and changed and nursed. They used the grocery bag to for the dirty diapers. She smiled shyly up at Ryu as he stared at her as she held the babies to her breast. Finally, she could hand Tabitha back to him and he slid her back into the seat. He wasn’t fast, but he finally got all the straps in place and began untangling Gouken. “We’re doing good.”

The babies settled back down, yawning and going back to sleep. Hana yawned and pushed aside the water and pretzels and gratefully put her feet up. Ryu grinned as she went to sleep and was grateful—again—that Ken had gotten the limo so that she could stretch out fully on the bench. He was almost sleepy himself and stretched out comfortably. It was quiet and he felt complete and almost serene, not even noticing when he nodded off.

“Sir? Would you like to stop, sir?” The driver’s voice came through some kind of intercom, startling Ryu awake. “Please use the remote, sir.”

Ryu cracked open an eye and looked at the remote. There was a small button—of course it was black against the black remote—and he pressed it hopefully. “Uhh...yeah?”

“We have a lovely scenic overlook coming up in just fifteen minutes. There’s a rest area and the lady might like to stretch her legs.”

“Yeah...that sounds like a good idea.”

“I’ll signal the SUV and we’ll leave the highway in just a few moments. It’s about forty-five minutes to the ferry if you would prefer to wait.” There was a pause. “I have also been told that there is a quiet cafe ten minutes just beyond the stop if you would like something heartier to eat.”

Hana let out a sleepy sound and he looked at her. “Are you hungry?”

“No...just sore.”

“We’ll stop and stretch our legs. Get some fresh air and I’ll give Ken a call.”

She nodded, sitting up and catching a look at one of the signs they passed. “Oh, look...we’re almost at the ferry.” She giggled and patted the babies gently. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Not long enough.” He grinned at her. “It’s hard work keeping up with them.” He gave her a shy chuckle. “I did finally get them changed, but I don’t think it’s quite good enough.”

They stopped at a pretty place that overlooked a picturesque waterfall with pine trees around it. Ryu picked up Hana and took her to one of the wooden benches looking at the water. She huddled in Hiro’s coat, but her face was relaxed and soothed as she looked around.

They stayed there a few minutes, watching the chilly waters flow past. Finally he helped her to her feet. “It should help you to stretch a bit. We’ll be at the ferry in ninety minutes according to the driver.” He helped her to the small brick building with the restrooms. Finally relieved, she hobbled out to him again. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she muttered, looking up at the sky. “It looks like rain.”

“Rain is going to get you too cold. We’d better get on our way.” Ryu began walking her towards the limo, helping her get back inside. “After the ferry, we’ll be mainly on the highways and we’ll get to the dojo really fast.”

She was asleep almost before he finished talking. He watched as she curled on the plush seat, obviously strained and tired and sore. Thinking hard, he went to the driver and tapped on his window. “Do you have a blanket or something?”

“The lady is cold? I can turn on the seat warmers if you like?”

“Uhh...yeah.”

“Very good, sir.” He tapped a small screen beside the steering wheel. The screen flickered to show some buttons that lit up as he touched him. Then, with another swipe on the screen, it went to a map with a bright blue route going down to the ferry. “As you can see, we’ll be at the ferry very soon.”

“Can you tell me when we’ll be there?”

“At the village? It will be another four and a half or five hours. I will of course stop whenever you need a break.”

He nodded slowly. “You’re great.”

“Thank you, sir. I live to please.” He looked at his screen. “And they will be stopping briefly to pick up food just after the ferry, so they ask we please wait.”

“You don’t happen to know how I can get her up the trail?” He looked at the long vehicle. “I don’t think that this is going to go all the way up the mountain.”

“Of course not, sir.” He nodded. “However, I can inquire if there is a cart, sir?”

“Uhh...I guess that will work.”

“Of course, sir. Let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.”

Turning around and going back to the overlook, Ryu stared at the icy waterfall. What was he to do now? He needed to pay Hanzo the promised reward money. He needed to repay Ken’s kindness. He definitely owed E and Hiro a couple of stiff favors now. Master Gouken had said once that a man had more debts than he knew and now he really knew what the old master meant.

Honda came up behind him, his heavy steps fluttering the ground. “This is a nice place to stop.” He looked down at Ryu. “What’s troubling you?”

“Me? Uhh...nothing.”

E laughed. “I know that look. When you have that kind of look, you’re thinking hard about something. What’s wrong? We’ve rescued the damsel and you’re getting back home. You’ve even defeated your hardest opponent.”

“I know,” Ryu muttered. “But it sometimes seems like this is too good. Too much good luck.”

“And you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Honda nodded. “It’s hard enough working towards your goals. Sometimes it seems like it’s harder when you actually achieve them.” There was a pause as they breathed in the crisp, pine scented air. “My teacher always told me that no matter how hard I worked at sumo, it was easy compared to being a parent.”

“I’m not sure about how to even be a parent. I kind of assumed that Master Gouken was going to be there. It’s one of the things that made me decide to even keep Hana—that he’d be there to make sure I didn’t wreck the pups’ lives. Or her life.”

“And yet you’re so sure you’re going to wreck their lives?”

“My parents.... I don’t know where they are, who they are. They are gone for all I know. Master Gouken is gone.” He sighed. “What am I to do? I don’t think that I’m smart enough to teach students, how am I wise enough to raise pups?”

“How do you know you’re not wise enough?”

“Because I would have been there when Hana and Master Gouken needed me.”

“That sounds more like guilt, my friend, and not like clear thinking.” E stared at the water. “It will probably be better when you are back home.”

“I sure hope so.” He sighed heavily. “They are too important.”

E chuckled awkwardly. “I know. But she likes you. She probably sees a hero when she looks at you.” He shrugged. “It would be nice to have someone look at me like that, sometime.”

That did make Ryu laugh. “I think that Hiro already does.” The sumo laughed. “Let’s get on the road. The sooner we’re at the village, the sooner we’ll be home.”

The trip was uneventful after that. The ferry ride was smooth and swift and no one seemed inclined to stare at him or E as they stepped out for another fresh breath. No one at all stopped them as they stopped again for Hiro to run inside a flashy restaurant and come back out with two bag holding styrofoam containers. He walked up to the limo and passed Ryu and Hana two of the containers so they had a good meal as they drove on. Hana rolled down the window slightly, sighing in pleasure at the fresh air and stretching in the car. Then, on the other side, they got back to the highway and again miles flitted past.

Ryu finally got out his phone as Hana went back to sleep, smirking at the missed call from Ken. Dialing the American’s number, he was relieved to hear his friend’s voice. “Thanks, Ken. You really came through.”

“Yeah,” Ken joked. “You should be fine getting through traffic. Are you close to the dojo?”

“Almost there.” Ryu glanced for a road sign. “And glad when we get there.”

“I know, right? Eliza and I are at the ryokan just downhill from the dojo. She’s eager to see Hana and you wouldn’t believe all the stuff she went and bought.”

“Uhh?”

“Yeah—it looks like she bought out a whole store.” Ken let out a puff of breath. “But she says that we’ll get it all back when our pups come through. Kind of sounds like some kind of unwritten code with the omegas that they pass around the baby stuff.”

Ryu smirked for a moment. “She’s not trying to tell you something, is she?” Ken choked, coughing. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

“No, man. I hadn’t even thought of it like that.” Ken let out a whistle. “I’ll ask her immediately. Good thinking.”

“Hey...how much do I owe you? For everything. I mean—getting me in touch with Hanzo and the shelters, getting the alerts out. Hell, even setting up Hana so that she can do shopping. And now a limo?”

“It’s just money, Ryu.” He laughed. “And maybe now that you’re an internet sensation, you’ll keep training at my gyms. The Sapporo gym has posted its best quarter yet.”

“Still...I owe you.”

“We’re practically brothers, Ryu.” Ken’s voice dropped. “We’re family. It’s been us against the world forever. What’s a brother for?”

“Sparring,” Ryu deadpanned.

“You’re on. But, this time, tell Hana not to hit me with a rock.”

Ryu laughed. “Will do.”

“I sent Hanzo the reward money,” Ken continued. “I know you’re gonna probably tell me that you owe me now, but I promised it, so I ponied it up. And you have Hana and the pups now, so he gets it.” A pause. “What are the pups’ names anyway?”

“Tabitha and...and Gouken.”

There was a stiff moment of silence and Ryu almost saw Ken nodding. “I like that. He’d be honored.” There was another stiff silence and then Ken added anxiously, “And I’ve gotten a hold of a cart and ox so Hana and Tabitha and Gouken will be safe going uphill.”

“At least let me pay for that.”

“Dude...it’s a small price to pay.” Ken laughed shortly. “Eliza wasn’t gonna make it all the way up the hill in the first place and she threatened rebellion if I thought I was going to make Hana walk up after having a child. I had to sleep on a couch, man. I told her that Hana was going to be fine and she told me that if that’s what I thought, then I could get my own meals and do my own photo editing. Then I go ‘Hana’s Ryu’s omega—I don’t have anything to do with that’—and she said—. Well, she said some stuff and I said some stuff and then I had to sleep on the couch.”

“On the couch?”

“Yeah. Let me tell you that it was really uncomfortable! I think she even turned down the heat. So a cart and ox is a small price to pay for being able to sleep in my own bed.”

Ryu puffed out a breath. Despite the annoying feeling of rising debt rolling across his shoulders, he was relieved that Hana would be back home. He was looking forward to the familiar sights and sounds and feelings of being back. Even the air felt different, lighter and more pure and cleaner.

God, he was glad to be finally away from Sapporo and Hokkaido. He felt unclean in that place—like the stain of sin was all in his skin and hair and flowing through his blood. He couldn’t even think of the hostel he had stayed in without feeling the taint of the dark power. His fight, Trini—everything was distorted and twisted and he couldn’t escape the feeling of shame coursing through him.

Master Gouken had always told him to resist the dark side of his nature. A hundred ways at a hundred times, he had warned his student about how the dark side would destroy him. How easy it was to let it get out of control, how tempting it was to make excuses about it. He had been told over and over again that the Satsui no Hado only brought destruction.

He had had excuses enough. Akuma had been reborn through the power of the Satsui no Hado and had had no equal. Hana had been taken and he needed to use every power at his fingertips to get her back. Master Gouken’s death needed to be avenged.

It had nearly destroyed him. He had wanted to keep fighting, mowing down anyone and everyone in his path. The fight had been the only thing that had mattered, the one bright star in the universe. The taste of blood had lit a flame in his blood that eclipsed even the burning memories of his mate and the pups. He just wanted to keep fighting and fighting and fighting.

Hana’s fear scent had hit him in that shift of the winds, though. She had been silent, not that she had much choice to stay where she was, but she had done her best to not disturb or distract him. It must have almost killed her to be silent, to endure that pain alone and unprotected and frightened.

He had not gotten even a whiff of that thick, acrid smell since he had laid a hand on her. She had looked up at him with an anxious smile, the fear scent vanishing in the breeze. He could only imagine what he looked like to her—his eyes burning with red and the power of the dark power of Satsui no Hado bleeding off his bloody fists. He only hoped that he was under his own control now.

They kept going, her nursing and taking care of the babies as they periodically woke up. He was impressed at the amount of care she lavished on them. He was able to hold them against his chest, feel them yawn and kick in their soft baby ways. They were wholly marvelous—the size of his hand and perfectly formed. He was torn between being amazed at how small they were compared to him and then amazed at how large they were compared to her. She had been bruised and torn taking his cock during the cycle—how much more was she with them flowing out of her?

Then he would pick up one of them again, feel it laying trustingly and loosely on his chest, and he didn’t regret a thing.

The driver stopped one more time in the little village. It felt like a celebration to finally have her back in the village at his side. So, he had the driver stop for two bowls of the best udon he could get—with vegetables, no tofu, extra broccoli, and sweet ginger sauce. If there was a taste of home, this was it. Hana ate it in great wolfing gulps, smiling at him as she gobbled it down.

“You know, we could have stopped anywhere along the way,” he smirked. “You should have told me you were starving.”

She slurped her bite of noodles. “Oh...I...ahhh.”

“Don’t worry. Finish up.” He shrugged. “We have a cart and ox waiting for us.”

“We’ll be home,” she sighed in pleasure. Her eyes sparkled in a laughing green that reminded him a young bamboo. “I can’t wait.”

“We’ll have to cuddle them close. It’s cold out there.” He shrugged, giving her a particularly ugly sounding, long slurp of his own noodles. It made her laugh softly. “And I can’t begin to tell you how long it takes an ox and cart to get up there. Not to mention that the heat isn’t going to be on.”

She nodded sadly. “And the bonsai—they must be half dead now. And the propane tanks for the nest.”

He paused thoughtfully, lowering his chopsticks. “We should...we should move into the main building. There’s central heat in there.” He paused, poking at a bit of broccoli. “Master Gouken wanted to move you, but I was....”

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “You were busy.” She shrugged and then chuckled, “Doing super hero stuff before assuming your mild-mannered alter ego.”

He grimaced, his cheeks flaming. “I am not a hero—not like you deserve.”

She moved closer to him, nuzzling his shoulder. “You’re my hero.”

“Not like you deserve. Not like...Master Gouken wanted me to be.”

She still smiled up at him and whispered, “You are bringing me home. So, you’re my hero.”


	33. Chapter 33

The driver was merry and very crisp when he pulled in front of the ryokan in the village. Ken was standing next to an old, worn oxcart. Ryu had to snicker at the pile of boxes and bags loaded in the cart with their slick coverings and boxes and bags. He nudged Hana and nodded at the cart, “Looks like Eliza went shopping.”

She nodded uncertainly, watching as a model perfect blonde woman came out in a heavy coat and pants and boots with a blanket around her shoulders. Ken greeted her and helped her climb into the cart. Compared to her sloppy clothes and mussed hair, she must look like a beast.

The driver opened the trunk and added Ryu’s heavy bag to the cart. He came around and tapped the window. Ryu rolled down the window, forcing a smile at Hana’s suddenly anxious face.

“Pardon me, sir, but the cart is ready when you are.”

Ryu looked at Hana, saw her shy nod. “All right. We’re ready.”

“Very well, sir. If you would permit me, I will unfasten the children as you help her into the cart.”

“That would be great,” Ryu grinned.

Ever so slowly, he picked her up. “Hana...just think. We’ll be there soon.” She gave him a hasty smile and nodded. “Keep thinking that—we’ll be home soon.”

She gave him a laugh. “You hardly ever call it ‘home’.”

“Uhh...”

“It’s good to hear it.” She snuggled against his chest. “Take me home. Please alpha, take me—us home.”

“Yes, omega,” he sighed into her hair.

With the utmost care, he settled her into the cart, wrapping her in a blanket. The driver briskly handed him Tabitha and he gave her to Hana to hold to her breast and wrap under the blanket. Eliza giggled eagerly, leaning over to peek at the baby.

Suddenly Eliza giggled, “Could I hold the other one? Please?”

Hana glanced at Ryu and then nodded. With a stern face, he gave her Gouken and she wrapped him up. Hana bit her lip nervously as Tabitha began to fidget. Gouken must have heard her because he let out a little bleat.

Eliza drawled, “Oh honey, we’d better get a move on.”

Ken nodded. “Yeah, Ryu. You all better get moving. I’ll catch up once I’ve seen E and Hiro.” He laughed again. “And I can’t wait to tell you about fighting Chun-li in Seattle.”

Ryu grinned and gestured to the old man at the head of the ox. “Let’s go, then.” He smacked the huge beast on the flank, smirking as the meaty tail flailed across his back. “My mate needs to get home.”

The cart got moving, going through the tracks and turning up the slick, nearly icy path. Eliza looked up at her, shifting Gouken in her arms. “You know, darling, I am so glad that Ryu got you back. I can tell you that he was an absolute mess without you. He didn’t hardly eat, didn’t hardly sleep and was about to keel over training.”

Ryu snorted beside the lumbering ox. “I can hear you, Eliza.”

“Well, you were,” she said tartly. Her eyes glistened as she leaned closer to Hana. “And I don’t mind telling you that I’m glad that you’re back to keep him straight.” She cuddled Gouken closer to her chest. “Ryu’s one of my Ken’s favorite people—one of mine, too—and we’re so glad that you’re here to keep him on the right track.”

Hana blushed, glancing away. “I’m just glad to be here.”

“And the pups are just adorable.” She shrugged. “I can’t wait until Ken and I have ours. What are they called?”

“You have Gouken and I have Tabitha.”

“You named him after Master Gouken?” Eliza blushed. “I’ll bet that Ryu’s happy to hold his son, isn’t he?”

Ryu snorted as the ox’s tail slapped him again. “I can still hear you two.”

They got up to the big tori gate, and Ryu paused in reverence. He could not describe how glad he was to see the big gate. He always brought all his problems to Master Gouken, come here to learn more, studied and grew stronger here. Eliza was still talking to Hana, seemingly unaware how much she was overwhelming the other omega. Still, he needed a moment here to gather his wits.

Ken and E were laughing as they came up the path. Hiro’s voice spoke up, too, adding to the humor. Ryu signaled the cart to go on without him as he turned to wait for them.

Ken was laughing. “So, I was telling her that I was totally fine, but Eliza totally wigged out. She was screaming that she was going to kill her for ruining my nose.”

Ryu grinned. “Who hit you?”

“Chun-Li, man.” Ken smirked and shrugged. “Nailed my nose and boy was Eliza pissed.”

E chuckled. “I saw her last year. Totally wiped the floor with most of the competition.”

Ryu fell into line with them, laughing at the usual jokes and talking about fights and techniques. It was relaxing, talking with them as close friends usually do. He missed this part of the tournament circuit almost as much as the actual fighting. He had never had brothers or sisters, but he had always had his closest friends from the tournaments. There was an unspoken bond of honor and camaraderie, even when they were pitted against each other.

They caught up to the oxcart easily enough and it seemed like no time at all before they were at the broken gates. The shards had been mostly swept away by wind or rain or whatever, but the round entry was like a mouth hanging open. Ryu sighed as they went through.

Ken finally stopped laughing for a reverent moment. He let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

E looked around, staring at the hole and the ancient dojo beyond it. “So this is your place, Ryu. Nice.” He laughed. “I like the old style dojos—they have class.”

The cart had pulled up to the front of the building, the ox patiently nibbling some of the rough winter grass. The driver looked up at Ken and Ryu. “Hey, are we ready to unload?”

Ken nodded. “Let’s get things ready.” He smacked Ryu’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go inside and turn on the heat? Get the omegas comfortable and we’ll start unpacking.” He grinned at Ryu’s scowl. “Which room are you in anyway?”

Ryu nodded slowly and helped Hana down as she cuddled Tabitha. He helped her inside, turning on the heaters as they went through. “We should.... A room?”

She nodded slowly. “What about your old room?”

Ryu closed his eyes wearily. “This is...our place. Now.” On shaky legs, he walked down the hallway and slid open the door to Master Gouken’s room. There was the old sword stand with his father’s sword in it. The small shrine was still covered and the two cabinets had dust on them. The small space heater was in the corner where Gouken kept it, the cord wrapped around the base neatly and precisely. In another corner was a small Japanese desk with a precise pile of notebooks stacked on top of it with an ink stone and a small dish and an old brush. “Hana, this is our room. Now.”

She whimpered and nodded, tears sparkling on her lashes. “I understand. Thank you.” To the pup she whispered, “This is your grandfather’s room, your father’s room, Tabitha. We’re home.”

Eliza’s voice rang from the hallway. “Hey, Hana! We need to know where to put this.”

Ryu took a steadying breath. “Go ahead. Get settled, Hana.”

“You okay?”

“I just...need a moment.”

She nodded in understanding. “I’ll get them in the front room.” She looked up at his sad face. “Maybe...there’s some tea left.” He nodded slowly, staring at the empty room. “Just give us a sign when you’re ready.”

Turning back to the hallway, Hana called, “In the front room, Eliza. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Ryu went into the room softly. The room still seemed to have a quiet echo of the large alpha’s laugh. It seemed like the room was just waiting for him to come in for a last, quiet cup of tea. Like Gouken was going to come in and meditate with him, explain the ways of Shotokan to him. He staggered to the desk, looking at one of the journals that got left behind.

He opened it slowly, looking at his master’s neat handwriting. Hana’s name was the first thing he saw. ‘Hana is doing well and shows progress with the sword. She has almost mastered rolling. She rolls around in an almost dizzying way. She would have done well with grappling and some form of jujitsu or taijitsu or wrestling. The pups are going to be so much fun, rolling around in the grass in the spring. It reminds me of when Ryu was young—’ He stopped, closing the journal.

There were two journals left. One of them had a single word on the first page—‘Son’. He took that one, staring down at it. What was he to say? What was there to say? He missed his father. He missed the old man’s wisdom and laughter. He missed just listening to the man as they meditated together.

Ken’s laughter floated down the hall, along with Hiro’s. Eliza laughed at something and it only made the old master’s room seem even more lonely and more empty. He had nothing to say. There was no way to make this right. He had only an empty building now, filled with so many memories that it seemed like there was no place for him.

Some time later—he had no idea how long—he smelled beef and ginger and soy and onions. There was a rousing cheer from E and applause from Hiro. Driven by a gnawing feeling in his gut—not so much hungry for the food, but hungry to feel others around him—he finally went back down the hallway.

True to her word, Hana had had everything unpacked one of the two front rooms. Then, apparently, Eliza had sent out for some supplies and cooked up a feast. As soon as he got to the low table, he saw Hiro emerge with a huge to-go platter of sushi and a new bottle of soy sauce. Everyone was whirling around him as the sushi came out and plates were set out. Hana brought out a beef stir fry and a huge bowl of stir fried vegetables and then went back to fetch a bowl of rice. Eliza dodged him with a baby on her shoulder, bringing out a fresh jar of pickled vegetables. He looked around and Hiro had the other baby over his shoulder, patting his bottom and singing some kind of show tune.

Ken grinned up at him. “Hey, Ryu—sit down and eat with us.” Eliza popped open the vegetables and sat down beside him. “Come here.”

He heard Tabitha squirm noisily, a chubby leg kicking. Hiro grinned, patting her bottom and making some silly noise in her ear. Instinctively, Ryu went to take her and put her on his shoulder. She made a sniffly sound as she immediately settled against him, giving him a kick before drooling on his chest.

Hana brought out four plates and every cup in the dojo, along with their biggest kettle of tea. Ryu could smell the warm tea, the fragrance sweet and light. Carefully, she set the plates down in front of Ken, Ryu, Edmond and Hiro, along with teacups and chopsticks. Eliza snorted as she settled with a glare behind Ken, Gouken on her shoulder.

Everyone seemed to stare at him for a moment, until he finally asked, “Hana—do we have two more plates?”

Hana made a startled little noise. “Yes. But they’re smaller ones.”

“Go get them.” She leapt up and brought him the plates. “I want you and Eliza to eat with us tonight.”

“Well, that’s good of you,” the sumo boomed.

Eliza let out a soft sob, her face turning a little pink and scooting up. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I mean no disrespect, but I think that everyone here had a part to play to making sure that we won. A part to play that we’re all here together.”

Hiro let out a whoosh of breath. “Thank goodness.” All eyes turned towards the man, except for Honda’s. The bigger man simply turned red. “I was worried that you all had figured me out.”

E laughed softly. “I suppose that we don’t need to hide here, Hiro.”

“I suppose not, sir.”

“Hiro?” Ken asked.

E responded gruffly as Hiro turned red. “He’s an omega. We keep up appearances because he’s a damn fine man and he keeps up with me and he wouldn’t be half as good if he had to constantly do all the silly stuff omegas have to do.”

Ken laughed as Eliza scooted up closer beside him. “I know, right?”

Hiro smirked. “And...?”

“And I’d like to formally introduce ‘techmaster@mastersinc.com’—Eliza.”

Hiro’s eyes went wide. “You’re the webmaster?” She nodded shyly as he eagerly shook her hand. “I have needed to ask you about some of the technologies that you’re using. Our site needs updating—.”

Suddenly, it was like hearing a hundred years of tradition shatter. Hiro and Eliza were quickly engulfed in a babbling technical discussion that no one else could quite understand. Ken and E went back to some discussion of tournaments and styles and catching up on gossip. Ryu smiled stiffly, passing dishes and putting some of each dish on her plate in silence, listening to the conversation.

At last, the babies began fussing and Hana excused herself, taking them to Master Gouken’s room. Ryu sat there, staring at the small amount of rice and vegetables there. Truthfully, he was listening to the babies sounds from down the hallway, to his children go from fussing to cooing. Hana was, he realized, somehow fine here.

Why couldn’t he be?

That night, after Hiro and E decided to take Hana up on one of the spare rooms upstairs and Eliza had gone with Hana to the cottage to see if it would suit Ken and her, Ryu pulled his friend aside and gestured towards the large sparring area.

“Sure, Ryu. What’s up?” Ken asked as they went to a flat area of icy cold ground. “Don’t tell me you want to spar this late?”

“Ken,” Ryu whispered with a bow. “I want you to promise me something.” Ken looked alarmed, but nodded. “I want you to promise me that if anything happens to me, you’ll look after Hana and the pups.”

Ken broke into a nervous laughter. “As if you needed to ask!”

“No...I mean it.” Ryu’s face was stonily serious. “I need to know that she can depend on you if she needs an alpha’s help.”

Ken’s laughter died. “Ryu...what are you saying?”

Ryu stared up at the stars. “I am.... I don’t know what I am. Who I am.” He puffed out a billowy breath that steamed in his face. “I am going to go down and make out a will tomorrow, leaving the dojo and everything to her and the pups.”

“She can’t—.”

“I know that right now she can’t own property, but...dammit. She’s capable. She is strong. This is her home. There is no real reason she cannot be allowed to stay here.”

“This is starting to sound like more than another bout of ‘I’m going to go off and train somewhere’.” The blond reached out to his friend’s shoulder. “What’s really going on?”

There was a long pause. “I was almost consumed by the Satsui no Hado.”

Ken sucked in a nervous breath. “The dark Hado—!”

“I was so enraged by Master Gouken’s death, by Hana’s loss....by almost losing the pups. I felt it even when you and I were arguing in front of your Tokyo apartment. But then I went to Sapporo and began training there. I was desperate for some money and signed up to take Trini around—.”

“So that’s how she came into the picture.” Ken nodded thoughtfully and crossed his arms. “I was wondering.”

“Yeah. She and I had a few good times, but most of it was us acting for each other. She’s got some kind of fundamental emptiness and got fixated on me.” He flushed angrily. “And I have to admit I decided to use her for whatever I could get. Then she found some fights for me. Arranged the last fight for me in exchange for some financial support to expand her exchange.”

“Fuck....”

Ryu laughed shortly, ignoring the tears on his cheek. “I finally saw one of those soulless omegas you warned me about. Trini had her and it was like staring into the eyes of a china doll. Like all the lights were on but no one else was home.

“I hated Trini then. It helped to burn out the darkness, but not completely. Despite that, I was almost completely consumed as I fought Akuma. I didn’t even remember Hana or the pups when I was fighting him.” He sighed in embarrassment. “I only thought how good it felt to have that power at my fingertips.”

“Hell, Ryu.” Ken felt an icy cold that had nothing to do with the weather run down his spine. “It was...extenuating circumstances.”

“No. It was my choice.” His eyes rolled to the other man’s face. “I chose everything I did. And, if Master Gouken was here, he’d whip me like a mule.”

“Man—you’re still grieving. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Just like then—I know exactly what I’m saying.” He swallowed heavily. “I knew that I was going to fight, the temptation of the Satsui no Hado. I knew all of that, and I did it anyway.”

Ken looked at him, his eyes darting and narrow. “Ryu...what are you saying?”

“I am a danger to them,” Ryu muttered. “The dark Hado could hurt them. It could...pollute them and make them as dark as Akuma.” His fists clenched angrily. “And then what?”

“Ryu—your kids are...are amazing. They are fine.” Ken began pacing angrily. “Even Eliza is charmed by them. And Hana is just a great omega and going to be a good mother. Dude—you’re worrying for nothing.” He pointed to the big building. “Now go back inside, go to Hana and the babies and get some sleep.”

“I need to leave,” Ryu muttered. “I can’t risk the children becoming...infected.”

Ken growled, his fists raised. “And you can’t leave them behind—not again. You can not leave Hana alone with the babies. That’s not what Master Gouken taught us!”

“Master Gouken is dead!” Ryu shouted back. “Master Gouken is dead—he died alone—.”

Ken felt tears form in his eyes. “He died believing in the principals—in the cornerstones of discipline, honor, respect, fidelity and strength. He died protecting Hana so that she wouldn’t be alone and so that your kids would be safe. He died believing in you Ryu.”

Ryu sighed, his head bowed as if in defeat. “I know. And the pups—Master Gouken would not want them to be corrupted by that power.”

Suddenly, Ryu felt a blast rocket through him and his vision was clouded by orange flame. He shook and dropped to the ground. “Ryu—Master Gouken loved you more than anyone. He thought you were the greatest thing to happen to Shotokan ever.” Ken sighed. “He would never have done half the things he did if he didn’t believe in you and believe that you were a fundamentally good person.”

Ken paced angrily around, his voice growing hoarse and soft. “He never would have protected her like he did if he didn’t believe that you would be a good parent. Do you know that he actually told me once that he was not sure I’d be a good father? That he advised us to wait until I was older because he thought that I needed to grow up more. Do you know that I wanted, more than anything, for him to approve of me like he approved of you?”

Ryu panted as he staggered to his feet. “He did approve of you. He taught you, trained you. You were like his son too.”

Ken snorted, “Sure, chonan-san.” He turned away with a bitter scowl. “You were always the favorite. I’m going to go into the cottage to my omega because I love her and want her to be happy and that I want her to know she can count on me. Maybe you should do the same.”

Ryu watched as he left, going into the cottage that went dark and quiet. The entire dojo was almost eerily silent except for a soft moan of wind. Again, it felt like it was too filled with ghosts for there to be any room for him. The ghost of Master Gouken still walked the grounds as much as if he was still here. But this wasn’t a friendly ghost—it was a silent one that didn’t laugh or offer him wisdom or counsel.

He turned towards the bamboo grove, determined to go train. The silence was crushing him harder than any blow. He needed to get away from this place.

Then there was a baby’s cry—a sharp and high pitched sound that rocked him to his foundations. A second cry joined the first and then he barely heard a soft song. Hana must be singing to them and soothing them. He stumbled forward, seeing a single dim light turn on in what had been Master Gouken’s room. One cry went silent, the other settling into a happy cooing.

He stood at the thin window, watching them and almost hearing them. Hana sang her little song, talking and whispering to them. She was a good mother—talking to them both in a soft rush of words. When he peeked in, he saw her as she sat on the futon with a blanket around her legs as she nursed one child and played with the other. Eliza and Ken must have gotten her the ring of huge plastic keys and the portable crib that was just beside the futon.

It must be Gouken on the futon—he was quiet and seemed to be examining the keys closely before starting to bite each one. Tabitha was swinging her legs even as she grabbed her mother’s breast and, for a brief moment, it was like looking at one of the holds Master Gouken had taught him. Hana laughed at her, jostling her slightly until she let go and she was able to go over her mother’s shoulder and let out a mighty belch before allowing herself to be laid back down. Then Hana turned her attention towards Gouken, holding him gently and rocking him as he began to nurse. Unlike Tabitha, his hands were wide and gently patted his mother. As soon as they were both fed and changed, Hana had them back in the crib and ready to sleep. Then she laid down and turned off the light again.

The sights at the window died as though it was a television that had been cut off. He stood there, feeling clumsy and stupid and weak. As though he was a pup himself, sneaking a peek into the master’s room on some stupid boyhood dare and catching a glimpse of something mysterious and forbidden. His heart ached and he didn’t know whether to go in to her or to simply walk out the gate and keep walking.

He looked at the brilliant stars and realized, there was nothing out there he wanted. He didn’t need the tournaments, the fights. He didn’t need the cheers of the crowds. When he had Gouken and Tabitha and Hana right here, he needed to be strong for her, to protect her.

He just couldn’t sleep, either. In the end, he went to the front room where there was still a couple of boxes and bags unopened, along with his huge duffle bag. Someone had left a lamp on and he pulled out the first journal that his hand touched. He thought it still smelled, faintly, of the old alpha—but then told himself it was his own imagination. The books had bounced along with him over miles and miles of travel, up to Hokkaido and back. If anything, they should smell like car exhaust.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to read a little. Just one or two things to calm his nerves.

The journal was a large notebook and, to Ryu’s surprise, was unlined on half the pages. There, in neat handwriting and careful illustrations, was the style that Master Gouken had been working on. He knew a lot of the moves—there were few surprises—but it was surprising how detailed and precise it all was. Every illustration was of Hana—how she moved, how she walked, how she rolled. There were even a few candid sketches—her making a chain of flowers, her standing over a pot and stirring it, her face as she carefully cleaned a fish and then her face as she realized what a bad job she did of it. Most every lined page was of the style, how to best use the smaller and lighter build of an omega to escape and evade, rather than attack directly.

Ryu smirked as he read on. It was like hearing Master Gouken talking to him, teaching him. In the pictures, he had little glimpses of what Hana was like while he was away. He could look at her face in the picture and hear her laughter and almost hear Gouken talking to her.

He got to the back of the book before he knew it. Master Gouken had finished the outline of his style—indeed had provided almost a complete blueprint of not only the moves, but of how to adjust and modify other moves to help an omega. How much more confident and able would Hana be if she could do even a fraction of this? The street toughs wouldn’t have been able to lay a finger on her. She would still not have been able to defeat Akuma, but she would be far safer.

The last entry spilled over into the fly leafs and the blank piece that was glued to the cover. “My son, Ryu, is hereby entrusted with the outline of this new style. I have decided to call this Ryu-Hana no Hado, to honor my greatest student and his mate who inspired this work. It has been my honor to do this, to see him grow from a boy to a man, from a student to a master and to be allowed to see him with a mate. I hope that fate will be kind enough to let me see him grow from my son to a father himself and to know that the circle of life is again complete.

“For Ryu’s sake, I myself grew from a son to a father, from a master to a teacher. I learned far more as his teacher, as his father, than I could have hoped to learn in a hundred years as a mate and mere master. I learned patience, kindness, determination and a hundred virtues more at his young hands.

“Now, in the winter of my life, I hope that he, too, will come to know the profound wisdom and peace that comes from seeing a pup grow from a babe to a child to an adult. It is the satisfaction of knowing that one has done well, one has allowed the next generation to grow and hopefully prosper and that the principles and values of Shotokan will carry on. It is not, as I had believed—as I had feared—about being perfect and having all the answers. It was about being imperfect and learning the answers along the way. It is about applying the cornerstones of discipline, honor, respect, faithfulness and strength not only to my art and to myself, but it is to apply them to a new life, to a mate and to a family as well so that not only the techniques of Shotokan go on, but the values as well. And in the end, that assurance is priceless and I can only be content and at peace.

“Ryu—that is what I want for you. I want you to take the next step in your journey and find that peace and contentment. I want you to find the joy of being a father, the contentment of knowing that the values and cornerstones that you have lived in your life will live on and on. I want you to find joy in your children and to see one more time what it is to learn something for the first time. I want you to have, at the end of your days, the joy of seeing that you have joined the long line of past masters and can see that the line is unbroken still into the future.

“I had despaired, at times, of you finding a mate. I had despaired that you would ever seek one out. I had thought that it was a shame, for the greatest Shotokan master to have his wisdom, his experience, his skill disappear at the end of his life and for him to never know the joy I have found in being his father. But, destiny decided to help me in the form of one small, fierce omega who followed you even here, who wanted you and your pups with a determination I have never seen before. I can rest easily, knowing you are going to finally have the family that you deserve.”

Ryu stared at the pages blankly. He had lived so long feeling the fringes of family—the occasional company of Ken and sometimes hearing Eliza or his father’s voice in the background of a phone call, the sometime company of E and Hiro, and all the other occasional people that he drifted around as he wandered. He had gone on from place to place and seeing families and gatherings as if it was a television show or visions that he could see, but could not be part of. He held the book loosely in his hands, occasionally tracing the words and the last sketch of Hana as she laughed and held the bamboo sword in her tiny hands.

He might have stayed there all night, but he heard a high-pitched fussy sound. His feet were barely making a sound. If it wasn’t for the second sound, he might have passed the door and gone to his old room where he had always been alone. But there was that second sound and he gently slid open the door. Hana was still asleep but there was a definite whimper from the crib.

Walking as quietly as he could, he peered into the crib. One of the pups was fidgeting, and he reached down. His pup quieted suddenly as he lifted the baby to his shoulder. “Quiet little one.” Hana murmured from the futon. “Everyone is sleeping.”

“Ryu?” Hana whispered.

“Just me,” he sighed. Clumsily, he patted the diaper like he had seen Hiro doing and there was a definite, cool bulge. “We have...a diaper. I got it.”

“Mmhmmm.”

He picked up a spare diaper from a neat pile beside Master Gouken’s desk. Going back out to the front room, he was surprised to see bright blue eyes staring up at him when he sat down cross-legged on the floor and put her down to change her diaper. “Uhh...hey.” Tabitha—of course, it had to be Tabitha. She kicked his hands with a frown as he undid the diaper. “Don’t worry...it’s just a diaper.”

She kicked him again. Her face screwed up into a scowl and her tiny hands went into fists. He laughed at her which appeared to make her angrier for a moment. He laughed again as she kicked his palm again. “It’s just a diaper, pup.” He finally got the dry diaper wrapped around her and the outfit snapped back down her legs. The baby stared up at him and then appeared to look at her foot against his palm with a look of confusion. “And if you’re going to kick, pup, you should probably do it right. Kick with your heel instead.” She stomped his fist again. “There you go, pup. You’ll get it.” She yawned widely, stuffing her fist into her mouth. “Now all you have to do is shout ‘ki-yah’ and you’ll have it.”

He picked her up and put her on his shoulder. Quietly, he rocked back and forth, smirking as she gave him some kind of baby noise. “Yeah...that’s it, Tabitha. Ki-yah.” She jerked one more time before closing her eyes and going back to sleep. “Master Gouken would have had a blast with you Tabitha.”

She was asleep, drooling on his shoulder as he slipped back into the room. He tried to put her down, but as soon as he did, she began fussing again. So, he picked her up, swayed gently with her drooling on his shoulder, and tried again. Failed again. “Tabitha,” he whispered. “You need to let us get some sleep.”

She kicked him.

“Fine. But this is just once because you’re in a new place.” He picked up Gouken as well. “And you forgot the ki-yah.”

Hana smirked sleepily at Ryu as he laid the pups on the futon and then curled on their other side. Gouken studied her for a moment before stretching and going back to sleep. Tabitha kicked Ryu one more time before yawning, stretching and closing her eyes. He grinned at her, putting his head on his muscular arm and sleeping.


	34. Chapter 34

Out of habit, Ryu was up early, going to get water to start some tea and eggs and rice and to see if he could let Hana sleep in. A while later, Hiro got up and began setting out dishes. “Good morning, Ryu. Sleep well?”

He shook his head shyly. “Not really. Tabitha and Gouken are up a lot.”

Hiro nodded with a smile. “If you want me to handle breakfast?” Ryu shook his head. “E and I are heading out to get a room at the ryokan downhill today. Give you and the pups a little more peace and quiet.”

Ryu was about to say something when Ken came in with two buckets of water. He grinned, “Good morning everyone.” Sheepishly, he laughed. “Eliza set my phone to wake me up so that I could get water. Something about kids needing a lot of washing.” He scratched his head. “I think it was more because I was snoring. So how is Hana doing?”

“She’s tired,” Ryu murmured as the battered kettle began to bubble. “The kids were up every few hours. Even Gouken was up.”

Hiro piped up, “I believe the books say that it is normal the first few months.”

Ryu nodded. “But if I let her sleep in a bit, then when we go to spar, she’ll be better rested.”

Ken nodded as Eliza came in and they lounged for a moment. “Yeah...can’t wait to get in one match with you, Ryu.” He grinned wickedly, fingering the non-existent scratch on his cheek. “At least this time her hands will be full and she won’t hit me with a rock again.”

Eliza gasped and stared at them. She whispered, “Oh Lord, not this again.”

Ken gave a wicked grin. “Don’t you have any sympathy? Here I am being a nice guy and giving Ryu and his brand new omega some quality time together and the first time I get to spar with him, she threw a rock and hit me.”

Ryu coughed heavily and Hiro let out a startled sound. Eliza merely snorted, “What did you do to deserve it?”

“Me?! I was the injured one.”

Eliza was unimpressed. “You don’t fool me any, Kenneth A. Masters. I’ll bet you had Ryu in some kind of head lock or something nasty and she thought you were going to hurt him.” Hiro coughed and Ryu turned hastily to begin pouring tea as his shoulders began shaking with laughter. “You did, didn’t you?”

“Hey! She almost ruined this perfect profile.” He grinned at his omega and pulled her into his arms. “And this face is going to be great in the movies starting in the spring.”

Ryu offered them both hot tea. “So your movie deal came through? Congratulations, Ken.”

Hiro nodded. “Indeed, sir.”

Honda came down the hall sleepily. “Do I smell tea? I’m hungry.” He looked at them with a smile. “And how are the pups?”

“Hopefully letting Hana sleep.”

“Don’t count on it.” The sumo shrugged. “As much as they seemed to want to fight, I’ll bet that you have two alphas on your hands, Ryu.”

Ryu grimaced, hearing them start to squawk. “I don’t know. Tabitha is a fighter. Gouken is more laid back, but he’s bigger.” With a shrug and a grimace, he added, “I guess we’ll just have to see.”

Hiro nodded, glancing at the pot of eggs. He turned up to the sumo. “There is some early talk about sparring.”

E nodded and grinned. “I like that idea. I get to crack your heads together.”

Ken shook his head. “Don’t say that too loud or Hana will take a rock after you, too.”

E blinked in a playful appearance of alarm. “And mess your pretty face up?”

Eliza wagged her finger at him and scolded, “Kenneth Arnold Masters III, you just watch yourself. This is her home and she’s got newborns and been through hell and I’ll take a rock to you myself if you don’t give her a break.”

Ken squirmed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Hiro began removing the eggs from the pot and putting the rice in a bowl. Eliza grinned and began taking out plates and setting the small table. Ken and Honda wandered in with rice and eggs and the huge tea kettle. As he padded back to tell Hana breakfast was ready, he heard the pups making their baby sounds and her singing.

Peeking in, he saw her changing them and nursing them. She looked up at him and flushed slightly. He helped her get changed into something clean—an old pair of sweatpants and then a t-shirt—and then helped her get them to the table. She ate with them, gratefully drank the tea that Ryu kept pouring.

E nodded as Hiro took the kettle to refill. “Thirsty aren’t they? For her to be so thirsty?”

Hana flushed darkly, cuddling Tabitha closer as Ryu rocked Gouken. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Hana,” Ryu nodded. “Drink what you need to.”

She glanced up at him, growing pale. “I am....” Tears filled her eyes. “It’s...been a long time since I could drink all the tea I wanted.”

Eliza scowled at Ken and E and reached to pat her hand. “Honey...do you need a minute? You’ve had a tough time—being gone from Ryu so long. Do you need some time to get settled?”

Hana let out a watery sob. “I’m sorry. Just...”

Eliza scowled and began picking up the dirty dishes. “I’ll get these and you and I and the pups will go to the kitchen so that you can talk. We’ll have the alphas go off and do their alpha thing and we get to have a comfortable chat.”

Eliza managed to get the dishes cleaned and had Hana sit down at the table again. Hiro crooned softly to Tabitha, trying to dodge her small hands as she reached curiously for his mustache as Hana swayed gently with Gouken. They heard the alphas thudding and grunting about, shouting to each other and decided to ignore them.

“Honey...you can talk to us,” Eliza began softly, pouring the three of them fresh cups of tea. “Is there anything you want to talk about? Just us omegas here.”

Hiro grinned and cracked open a window. He shrugged at them slightly sheepishly. “Sometimes a bad memory can cause fear scent. No need to bring the alphas running if we don’t have to.”

Eliza thought for a moment and then nodded with a smile. “Thank you, Hiro. That was very thoughtful.” She turned back to Hana. “Can you tell us what happened?”

Hana shook nervously. “I just.... He was a demon. He wanted to....”

“Hell—did he...did he attack you?” Eliza whispered. She reached out with one hand to Hana, to see if she wanted comfort. “Are you...?”

Hana shrugged finally taking Eliza’s hand. “I got drug out to force Ryu to fight him. He said one of them had a fighter’s spirit. That he wanted that one, but not the other.” She shuddered. “I...I finally b-b-bargained with him to let me keep them both.”

Eliza’s face turned red and Hiro gasped nervously. She swallowed heavily. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hana handed her Gouken with shaking hands. Hiro offered her a handkerchief and a friendly smile. She sobbed, “I told him I’d obey him. That I’d have his pups—as many as he wanted—if he’d just leave Tabitha and Gouken alone. I said that I’d do what he wanted, stay where he wanted, be quiet like he wanted. Just to let my pups alone.”

Eliza’s eyes were wet and tears went down her cheeks. “Honey, you were just doing the best you can.” Hiro nodded in silent agreement. “Ken said he was huge. You didn’t have a choice. You wouldn’t have stood a chance against him if you’d tried to fight him.”

Hana wept harder. “You weren’t there. I should have done something.” She wiped her face with Hiro’s handkerchief. “I mean...he left the door open and I could have—.”

“Hana, what could you have done? There is no way you could have stopped him. Ken and Ryu together were defeated the first time that they faced him.” Eliza glanced at Hiro for his nod of support. “There was nothing you could have done.”

Hana shuddered, plonking her elbow on the table and putting her forehead on her fist. “I should have run or screamed or...or something.” Her eyes closed in misery. “I...I can’t forget that I....” She let out a whine and a shrug. “I gave him what...what he wanted.”

There was a long moment of silence, and all eyes went to where Ryu stood in the doorway behind her. 

“Hana,” he started with a strangled voice.

She let out a terrified squeak and whirled to face him. “Ryu...alpha.”

Ryu stepped away to pick up Master Gouken’s big notebook and put it on the table. Flipping through the pages, he turned to the last entry thoughtfully. “Hana...I believe you did your best. That you did what you had to do. Do you believe that?” She nodded vaguely with a half shrug. “He was highly trained and...he defeated Ken and me together the first time we fought.”

The entire place went quiet as he pulled her closer to him and wrapped a big arm around her shoulders. “It won’t make it all go away, but I have Master Gouken’s guide right here. Now that the children are born, I can train you. I can show you how to use your elbows and knees and get out of most fights so that you don’t have to be afraid.”

Ken wandered in to sit beside Eliza. The tiny pup on her shoulder let out a soft sound and he offered his finger to the tiny hand. “So Master Gouken created a new style?”

Ryu nodded. “He wanted a style for omegas, to teach them to roll and fall and to grow stronger. He wanted to make sure that omegas—that Hana was strong enough to carry children.” Running his finger reverently over the words. “He called it Ryu-Hana no Hado.

“But I don’t think it should be called that.” Ryu’s hand shook as he looked at the notes. “It should be Hana no Hado. It was her strength, her patience. She was the one who followed the cornerstones—strength, discipline, respect, honor and faithfulness—.”

Hana burst into tears. “But I...I wasn’t!” She shuddered, almost falling over against Ryu’s shoulder. “I...I was.... What I did—.”

Ryu looked at her gray face and nodded. He gave a grimace to the friends around the table and closed the notebook. “Hold on. Come on, Hana. The children will need to be....to ahh....”

Eliza nodded thoughtfully, handing over the baby she was holding and smirking until Hiro did the same. “Of course...they were getting fidgety. We’ll be here when you get back.”

He took the pups and got them all to the bedroom. “Hana...what’s wrong?”

“I’m not! I’m not all those things. I wasn’t strong or anything.” She sobbed in embarrassment and fear. “I-I-I wasn’t faithful. Not like you...you deserve.”

Tears filled his eyes as he looked at her. “I...I.... Just tell me. Talk to me.” He grinned sadly as he jostled the children. “Things went so fast...I never got a chance to just talk to you. Tell me what happened.”

Slowly she reached to delicately stroke the twins. “You...you won’t want me around the pups. Not...after that.” Her eyes closed and tears flowed down her cheeks. “I.... I went with him—. I did what he said—.”

“Hana—he could have killed you.” His dark eyes were earnest and sincere. “You did what you needed to in order to keep the pups safe. And whatever you did is in the past.” He stood up long enough to put the pups in the crib. Then he sat down beside her on the futon. “I—.”

“I told him that I’d do anything. A-a-anything he wanted if he...he’d leave the pups alone.” She shuddered as he wrapped her in his arms. “And I was going to do it, too. Even bear his pups because he wanted strong pups to fight. A-a-a-anything he wanted if he’d just leave our pups alone. If he’d let them live.” Ryu bit his tongue as she shivered, clinging to him. “I tried to bargain with him. It seemed like...the right thing to do at...at the time. But...I was scared and I wasn’t strong or honorable or...or anything.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I wasn’t always.... I did things, too. Things I’m not proud of.” He tried rocking her a little. “I guess we both did the best we could.” He took in a deep breath. “I...escorted that Trini bitch around to make enough money to live in Hokkaido. I should never have let her get that close to you. Or the pups. I should have never have left in the first place, but I most especially shouldn’t have put you at risk like that.”

“You did what you had to do.” She nodded slowly and sobbed against his chest. “I know you tried your hardest. And even when you were fighting him I knew you’d win. I knew that you’d win and I wanted your pups. I knew that even if I was in that...that field and gave birth right there, you’d have the pups and they’d finally be safe.”

Ryu held her even tighter, pulling her into his lap. “You did the best you could. Ken and I lost to him—badly. And the only way I got close to him, I betrayed the things Master Gouken taught me. I was nearly lost to the Satsui no Hado—the dark side to the powers and practices he taught me. It was only your scent that pulled me through. That reminded me of why I was there.” He sighed against her hair. “I wanted so badly to kill and kill and keep fighting. I don’t know what I was doing.

“But Master Gouken said that we...we didn’t need to be perfect. Just to keep trying to do our best. So I want to be here now. I want to finish the new style and to start teaching it. I want to see Gouken and Tabitha as they grow because I finally have a family of my own and I am nothing without them. Or you.”

Hana burst into tears again, a watery smile on her face. Nodding, she kissed his face. “I want you to be here to see them. Tabitha—she’s got your spirit because she fights and kicks and punches all the time. Gouken is—.”

“Gouken is as calm as I want to be,” he said ruefully. “He seems to have an old soul. It’s like looking at Master Gouken again.” He gave her a smile. “And it is good to have him here...like Master Gouken never left.” He kissed her head. “They are my children. My family. Nothing will take us away again.”

“But you...your tournaments—.”

“—are not as important as you and the pups are.” Pure relief flooded through him as she finally hugged him back. “I will stay here. I’ll teach. And we will teach the new style so that other omegas will not be helpless. So that omegas will be strong.

“I don’t know that I’ll ever turn an omega into a street fighter. But I can help you. I can help you be stronger and better. I can take the style Master Gouken left and spread it and help many, many other omegas.”

She was nodding happily, holding him close. He dropped a soft kiss to her hair, then to her cheek. Slowly, sadness faded to restfulness and then went to white heat. In timid moves, she undid his belt, opened his ragged top. With careful hands, he pulled off her shirt and slid down the sweatpants.

His muscles were tighter, bulkier as she stroked them. Her breasts were fuller, more sensitive as he cupped them. Lips stroked and hands and fingers met. Within minutes, he had her spread on the futon. Her legs gripped his hips, pulling him eagerly as he slid into her. Blood burned and scalded and in minutes sweat and slick mixed with soft cries.

“I have missed you,” he whispered as she shuddered beneath him.

“Please, hold me,” she whimpered. He laughed into her ear as she pleaded softly against his neck. “Tell me.... Tell me I am still yours.”

“Always,” he purred. “I am your alpha and I claim you and your pups.”

She couldn’t stop writhing as he said that. He lapped her skin, dropping little kisses along her shoulder and the sensitive spot on her neck at her bond mark. “You are so wet, omega.”

She gripped him with everything she had. “And you are so strong, alpha.” She laughed against him again, her fingers tightening as he thrust into her slowly and steadily. “I...I want more.”

He didn’t last another minute before the fire overtook him. She whined and her core fluttered in that intoxicating way. Everything exploded inside him and it took everything in him not to roar with pleasure. A half-second later, the Hado burst out and he narrowly redirected it through a window.

She laughed in relief and hugged him close as he panted for breath. “I’ve...missed that.”

There were some chirping sounds from the crib. And that made him laugh. “They are going to be filling the sky with sparks when they grow up.”

She nodded, listening to them start to fuss. “Tabitha especially.”

He laughed, pulling back and fumbling to find something to clean them up. “She’s a fighter, isn’t she?” He stood up and went to the crib, and sure enough, it was Tabitha starting to fuss. Gouken only opened an eye sleepily. “All right, Tabitha—hold on.”

He handed her the fussing infant and dug into a chest to find a kimono and obi from Master Gouken’s mate. “Here. When we’re done, you can look stylish.”

Suddenly Ken’s voice called out, “Hey, Ryu! What’s going on there?! We heard a crash.”

He flushed and turned red, calling back, “We’re...uh...we’re okay, Ken. I’ll be right out.” He grabbed his pants and jacket and belt. “Take your time, Hana. Make sure that they’re settled and fed and changed.” He winked at her. “If you need help, give a shout.”

No one said much as he came back down. Not even the cups of tea had moved, and everyone was smiling slyly at him. Ken grinned and finally picked up a cup and tilted it towards his friend. “So it sounds like you got things settled.”

He nodded solemnly and knelt down at the table. “Things are settled.”

E nodded pleasantly as Hiro chuckled. Eliza let out a pleased sigh, smiling at her alpha. Ken pointed to the book. “So tell us about this new style.” He rolled his eyes towards Eliza. “I might want to sign her up for that.”

He nodded, spinning the book around so they could see the illustrations. After an hour of explanations and flipping pages, Hana came back with a serene expression on her face. Ryu grinned up at her and scooted so that she had room and then kept talking.

“...and then the next move is to press the knee here,” he said.

Hana looked at the illustration and nodded, “We tried to do the knee press there, but he kept dodging.” She grinned at Ryu’s keenly interested expression with a flush on her cheeks. “He was too big or I was too slow or—.” She smiled at the book. “So we had to change it—.”

Ryu looked stunned and Ken laughed. Nudging Eliza, he smirked, “So, now do you believe that she’s dangerous?” Everyone stared between her and him in shock. “Okay—I’ll bite. How did it really happen?”

She turned red. “Uhh...I’ll have to show you.”

Ryu took the book back with a rueful face. “Okay. Let’s go to the dojo, Hana.” He clapped her on the shoulder with a grin. Looking at the book, he helped her up. “I think I’ve got this move.”

Everyone seemed to nod and rise up from the table at once. Hana looked up at him with a questioning look and he had to grin at her. “It’s okay. This is going to be fun—right?”

Hana only made it to the dojo because Ryu had the book in one hand and his other arm over her shoulders. Everyone bowed as they went inside the huge room. It was mostly empty except for a small bench and two chests against the wall that held some pads and first aid kits and the like. The tatami mats were thick here, almost crinkling as everyone came inside.

Ryu gave the book one more look and set it aside. Come up to her, he stood next to her. She gaped up at him as everyone bowed at her. “Okay, Hana. You’ve had the most experience with the new style, so you are going to have to tell us how this goes.”

She looked up at him with a frightened expression. “But...I’m just an omega.”

Ryu nodded. “It’s all right.” He grinned as everyone came up. “Just...try and remember.” He patted her shoulder gently. “I think for that move, I’m behind you, right?”

Hana nodded. Her voice was quiet as she got into position—a basic rear hold like the hug of a bear. Ryu nodded, twisting around quietly. Master Gouken’s moves were clear and quiet and effective and, to her own surprise, she remembered them well. Far more than she had ever thought. Quite soon, she had gotten away from him. Ryu smirked as she wriggled away from him.

Ken whistled and Eliza clapped merrily. Even E nodded thoughtfully and Hiro smirked up at him. Hana flushed and looked up at Ryu, “Uhh...that’s how.”

Eliza grinned, “Can we try it? Really?” Ken went automatically behind her. She looked up at him. “I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I, babe,” Ken laughed.

They went through that single move a few times, sometimes successfully, sometimes not and having to try again. Ryu grunted and then laughed as she wriggled away, stomping his ankle and knocking him off-balance until he hit the mat. Laughing, he looked at her and said, “Well, that was good.”

She bit her lip nervously. “I...that’s how...we did it.” Kneeling down beside him, she offered her hand to him. “I am sorry—alpha. I didn’t want to—.”

“I’m fine, Hana,” he grinned. “But it’s nice to see an omega move like that.” He sat up next to her. “And it’s even better to see you do it.”

She flushed, smirking up at him. “That’s how we did that.” She turned tomato red. “He wanted to surprise you.”

He took her hands, giving her a serious look. “You did. And I—.”

“Hey you two!” Ken snickered. “Either teach us or get us a room.”

Ryu nodded at them. “Hold on.” He opened his mouth to keep talking, only to hear Tabitha and Gouken start to cry. “I guess the lesson is over for today, huh?”

She flushed and nodded. “I guess just delayed—until I can soothe them.”

“Of course,” he grinned. “We’ll see you later.”

Ken just had to add, “See you later, Master Hana.” Eliza groaned and elbowed his side. “Ow! Eliza—what are you doing?!”

“Don’t tease,” she scolded playfully. “Besides, just wait until our pups come. Then you’ll see how far you get.” Ken blinked in surprise. “Yeah, big alpha.”

“Us? Pups?” Ken suddenly shot to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. “Us?” Everyone roared in laughing approval as Ken helped her to a bench. “When?”

Eliza flushed slightly. “In about seven months. I thought you wouldn’t bring me if you knew. I wanted to talk to Hana and get a head’s up on what to expect.”

Ken’s face grew red and he seemed to shout, “And you did this knowing that you were carrying my pups?!” His face was lined with worry. “My pups are...?”

Ryu snorted and stood up. “That’s enough, Ken. She’s fine and we’ll stop here.” He grinned and shrugged. “Besides, I think that our Ryu-Hana no Hado master is a little occupied and probably will want help with the next meal.”

E and Hiro laughed. “We need to get a room downhill anyway. But we’ll bring up some extra supplies once we get settled.”

Ken hovered over Eliza and helped her to the kitchen. Hana came in with Tabitha and Gouken, lookin at them in confusion. Ryu winked at her and began helping her with the rice and began digging out jars of pickled vegetables. Hana grinned as the children cooed and patted their visitors before whimpering to return to their parents.

Ryu shrugged as Gouken settled on his shoulder and watched as Hana began making rice balls. “Hey, Hana. That was...a really good job back there.” He grinned as Ken began muttering and setting the table. “And don’t mind Ken—Eliza is pregnant.”

“Oh! Really?” She grinned. “So that explains a lot.” Looking down at Tabitha, she grinned. “I guess we’re supposed to wash and send everything back when they outgrow them?”

“I guess,” Ryu shrugged.

Ken came into the kitchen with a thoughtful expression. “So, uhh...Ryu. How soon can we get that style ready?”

Ryu patted Gouken’s bottom and winked at Hana. “I don’t know. I still have a lot to learn. A lot of training to do.”


	35. Chapter 35

September 1

Ken,

The year has been good to us. Gouken and Tabitha are constantly on the move and seem to constantly be babbling to everyone they meet. Gouken is still larger than his sister and he gravitates to the garden and the bamboo grove. Tabitha is happiest in the dojo, and crawls around the dummies and all over the place. She claps whenever she watches me and makes some kind of happy noise when I do the Hadoken.

Hana and I have worked on the Ryu-Hana no Hado and we think it’s close to being finished. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she is very good and she has taught me a lot. There is still more to learn—maybe there always will be. I’m very pleased and it does seem like Master Gouken lives still in this style.

The dojo is entirely repaired. The gates are in working order. I refused to hang another chain of bells—instead, I have a small battery operated doorbell. (Too many bad memories for Hana.) We did save all but one of the bonsai that Master Gouken collected. We have had to have his stone cleaned because the rains this year caused algae to grow on it. Then we had to cut back the bamboo. We did plant a cherry tree by Master Gouken’s stone, along with some daisies. Hana brought the kids to see the stone this year and we put a small maneki neko there. We had a picnic—dango, rice balls, moon cakes and some sake—and I told them about him. Kids being kids, immediately Gouken wanted to take the lucky cat statue with us when it was time to go.

We were very pleased to see trailers for your movie. It was easy to see that you were the one who knew what he was doing. Of course, you have disappointed many silly girls here for having the audacity to get married to your American omega. So, if you do a tour here, expect to see fewer of them crowding around you.

Nothing changes here. There is still the garden, the well, the tracks. I have moved a few things around now that I’m starting to collect students—mostly putting in more dummies and targets in the dojo. The students are mostly from the village as well as the small group Hiro and E send our way. They stay there for a week or two at the most and then go back.

We have seen in the papers that there is going to be a Masters Gym here in the village. Congratulations on expanding. I have applied to teach some beginner self defense, as you know. It was very flattering to get your invitation to attend the grand opening and if we can get there, we’ll show up.

I am proud of you and what you’ve done with your life. I hope you and Eliza have a long and happy life together with your children. Did I hear that there were two girls? We can’t wait until we can visit a year or two from now. At that point, our pups will be ready to travel to Tokyo again. E is planning on being there with Hiro and wants to talk to you about doing more cross-linking—whatever that is.

The surprise has been seeing Hanzo. You remember him—the manager of the Tokyo shelter. Hanzo has visited twice during long weekends and basically has become the tackle dummy and test subject for the new style. He adopted an omega of his own—Marta. I don’t know if you knew about her—maybe I didn’t tell you about her—but she was Vega’s omega before he was arrested. They have a small child of their own—he adopted her boy as his own—and he is very interested in the new style. Marta and Hana visit and can chat all night as the children waddle and crawl about, babbling. He has finally brought out his bow and he tried to show me how to fire it, but I’m all thumbs and he knows it. Of course, Tabitha laughed as he hit a target with an arrow and it shattered the target. He bowed to her and she grabbed his long hair before planting a messy kiss on his cheek. He looked like someone had hit him in the face with a water balloon.

Speaking of Hanzo, he has had a big win recently. He spearheaded a bill to allow omegas to seek shelter from an abusive alpha. I left Hana and the kids behind to help him gather signatures and we got about 85,000 over the weekend. It seems like people are very interested in helping omegas and improving their lives. Of course, it helped that E heard I was in town and showed up to visit, bringing in a ton of people. So now, omegas can now seek shelter from abuse. His next target is to compel breaks between breeding cycles and to enforce mandatory vaccines and medical care. 

Trini showed up the second day after the paper printed pictures of us, but with everyone crowding around she didn’t get far. She tried to cause a problem, but with Hanzo and E and I there—and all of them knowing Hana—it was short lived because they shooed her away. Her exchange was investigated and she appeared in court because Hanzo accused her of abusive practices. Hana was actually called to court to give testimony of the problems we had at the Sapporo shelter. Truthfully, all she needed to do was show up and sit next to the omegas Trini was required to bring forward as examples of her omegas. All anyone had to do was to look at Hana—her hair shiny and clean, her eyes lively and sharp, her posture—and people knew that Trini’s omegas were not being taken care of. As it is, her case has been instrumental in starting a movement to close all exchanges permanently.

At some point, we’re going to put some solar panels on the cottage/shed so that we have a good place for visitors. It will be very different to have them on the roof, but it would be easier to do that than try to run a line from the main building. So that would make it more comfortable for you and Eliza and your kids.

We hope to see you soon. The cherry blossom festivals are always a good time and should be exciting for Eliza. Hana has picked out a kimono and obi for her from the ones she inherited from Master Gouken to give to Eliza and is sewing you a new jacket with the family crest on the back. I agreed that you were also his son, and you deserved it—especially when you won the All American Martial Arts Tournament this year. Kanpai.

It is late and Hana has taken the children to bed, so I have to tell you good night. Can’t wait to see you again.


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